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Review One K33-3E (Clevo W230ST Barebones) Notebook

Hot machine. One presents a gaming notebook with a Core i7 based on Intel's latest Haswell architecture, a powerful Nvidia GPU and a 13.3-inch Full HD display. But can the small device handle the heat without sacrificing the performance? Find out in our in-depth review.

For the original German review, see here.

We got a pre-production device of the One K33-3E for our review that cannot be purchased in this configuration. It is equipped with an Intel Core i7-4702MQ8 GB RAM and a 128 GB mSATA SSD. Unfortunately, the processor with a nominal clock of 2.2 GHz is not available anymore; the manufacturer decided to use a faster entry-level version with the 4700MQ (nominal clock 2.4 GHz). This CPU is slightly less expensive but consumes more energy. 

You can also select Intel's 4800MQ (2.7 GHz), 4900MQ (2.8 GHz) and different memory configurations between 4 and 16 GB DDR3 memory. There are also several hard drives, operating systems and wireless modules. Depending on the configuration, the price of the One K33-3E is between 869 and 1,849 Euros (~$1162 and ~$2473, without software and accessories). Our review unit has a value of around 1,050 Euros (~$1404). 

The gaming notebook from One is based on Clevo's W230ST barebone and does not have many competitors in the 13.3-inch class. The same barebone is also used by the Schenker XMG P303 (starting at 950 Euros, ~$1271) and the Eurocom M3 (starting at 920 Euros, ~$1230). We also consider the slightly larger Alienware 14 (starting at 1,249 Euros, ~$1671) and DevilTech Fire DT14 (around 1,200 Euros, ~$1605) as rivals. 

 

Case

Robust device: The One K33-3E.
Robust device: The One K33-3E.

The plastic case of the One K33-3E is 330 x 227 x 31.9 millimeters and weighs 1,990 grams with the battery. The display cover has slightly chamfered edges and is covered with a black rubberized surface that has a soft feel. There is also the One branding. Otherwise the design is very simple; the appearance is dominated by silver-gray plastic and a black bottom cover of the base unit. 

The stability of the device leaves a good impression. You can easily twist the thin display cover, which also has problems with bouncing. But the situation is completely different with the bulky base unit. It is very robust and can neither be twisted nor dented.  

Despite the plastic look, the build quality is convincing. The gaps around the case are even and the display cover is flush with the rest of the case. The display hinges are also sufficient; you can comfortably open the display with one hand and vibrations only result in slight bouncing. The plastic palm rest is conveniently smooth and does not attract fingerprints.  

Connectivity

The port variety of the One K33-3E is reasonable. There are three USB 3.0 ports, one of them supports the USB-Power-Plus specification (5 V, 900 mA) and can be used for external hard drives or optical drives. External displays can be attached via VGA or HDMI but we would have liked an additional digital video port. There are only two stereo jacks, so you have to use the HDMI port to connect the K33-3E with a surround sound system.

The port layout leaves room for improvement. We would have located the Ethernet port and the power connector at the back since the right side is very crowded when you use all the ports. However, the card reader at the front is very easy to reach. We had no problems with inserting or removing a memory card and the card reader supports the latest SDXC standard.

Left side: Fan exhaust, USB 2.0, headphones, microphone.
Left side: Fan exhaust, USB 2.0, headphones, microphone.
Right side: 3x USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, LAN, Power, Kensington Lock.
Right side: 3x USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, LAN, Power, Kensington Lock.
Front: 6-in-1 card reader.
Front: 6-in-1 card reader.
No ports at the back.
No ports at the back.

Communication

You can use the Gigabit-LAN port for wired networks. If you prefer wireless communication, you can use the Intel Centrino N 2230 WLAN module that supports the IEEE 802.11 b/g/n standards in 2.4 GHz networks. The range of the wireless module is decent, we had a stable connection with a distance of 20 meters to the router and with two walls in between. 

Other choices for the wireless module are the Centrino N 6235 or the Killer Wireless-N 1202. All modules support Bluetooth 4.0 and also Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi).

Accessories

The provided accessories are limited. The box only contains the notebook, a driver DVD for Windows 7 and 8 and a 120 Watts power supply unit (19.5 V, 6.15 A). The PSU is both TÜV and GS certified. 

In case you do not have a license for an operating system, you should not forget to check the according box to purchase a Windows license since there is no operating system preinstalled. One offers Windows 8 and the predecessor Windows 7. 

The manufacturer does offer several optional accessories, starting with bags and external coolers up to input devices and external displays. 

Warranty

The standard warranty period is twelve months with a pickup & return service for six months. Both services can be extended to 24 or 36 months. As expected, the warranty upgrade (50 - 180 Euros, ~$66 - ~$240) is more expensive than the pickup & return service (10 - 30 Euros, ~$13 - ~$40).

The K33-3E is very easy to maintain.
The K33-3E is very easy to maintain.

Maintenance

The maintainability of the One K33-3E is very good. The generously sized maintenance cover at the bottom is fixed with just three screws. Loosen them and you can easily lift the cover.

Once you open the cover, you have access to all the important components. WLAN module, mSATA slot, SATA bay and the two memory slots are very easy to reach and you can easily clean the fan. You can even renew the thermal paste of the GPU (soldered) and the CPU. 

This is definitely a big advantage of the Clevo W230ST barebone; a maintenance-friendly case should look like this. Even beginners will have no problems with memory upgrades or the integration of an additional hard drive. 

The battery can be removed without opening the case, you just have to release two clamps. 

Input Devices

Keyboard

The keyboard of the K33-3E leaves a good impression; the keys are made of black plastic and have a convenient feel. The chiclet-style QWERTY-keys are sufficiently sized with 15 x 15 mm and a spacing of 3 millimeters.

The key stroke is neither too firm nor too soft and there is a subtle haptic feedback from the keys but there are no clicking noises. The layout is sophisticated and waives some keys or they can be used via FN-key. Only the top row is smaller and there is no separate numeric keypad. The firm keyboard is very pressure resistant and it cannot be dented. 

The integrated background illumination distributes the light evenly and can be adjusted in two steps. This is very helpful in dark environments and for longer typing sessions.

Keyboard with 87 keys.
Keyboard with 87 keys.
Low keyboard illumination.
Low keyboard illumination.
Full keyboard illumination.
Full keyboard illumination.
The touchpad
The touchpad

Touchpad

Unfortunately, the integrated touchpad cannot keep up with the quality of the keyboard. It does support gestures and has two separate mouse button. Especially the implementation of multi-touch gestures improves the usability. 

However, the input device is quite small with 87 x 55 mm and the gliding capabilities leave room for improvement; the precision on the other hand is okay. Both mouse buttons are a bit wobbly and have different pressure points. Clicking noises are conveniently quiet, but the gaps around the buttons could be smaller and attract dirt. 

Display

Many gamers demand it and One follows the trend with an anti-reflective display. The TFT panel has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (16:9 Full HD). Combined with the screen size of 13.3-inches, this results in a pixel density of 166 ppi. You should use the integrated scaling in the display settings if the Windows icons are too small for you. Based on our experiences, we recommend the 125% setting. 

You will be impressed by the Chi Mei N133HSE-EA1 display as soon as you use it. Colors are rich and crisp and the display is also very bright. Our measurements confirm this impression, the maximum display brightness is 346 cd/m² with an excellent brightness distribution of 95%. Neither the Alienware 14 (256 cd/m², 85%) nor the DevilTech Fire DT14 (192 cd/m², 87%) can keep up with our review unit. The only drawback is the slight screen bleeding at the edges, however, you will only notice it with very dark display contents. 

327
cd/m²
332
cd/m²
333
cd/m²
338
cd/m²
340
cd/m²
346
cd/m²
346
cd/m²
329
cd/m²
346
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei CMN N133HSE-EA1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 346 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 337.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 340 cd/m²
Contrast: 944:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.92 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.72 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
62.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
83.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.32

You are wrong if you think that the bright display results in a bad black value. 0.36 cd/m² is a very good result and leads to an excellent contrast ratio of 944:1. Even the grayscale presentation is on a very good level with a DeltaE value of 5.7 without calibration, but it cannot compete with the Alienware 14 (DeltaE 2.96) in this regard. The results for the ColorChecker (4.9) and the saturation are on a similar level. The latter shows the biggest deviation with white, which results in a slight yellow cast. However, it is very hard to see. 

63% coverage of the AdobeRGB color space is not sufficient for professional picture or video editing. However, this is not necessary for a gaming notebook; the sRGB coverage is 91%. 

Grayscale (pre-calibration, target color space sRGB)
Grayscale (pre-calibration, target color space sRGB)
Color Management (pre-calibration, target color space sRGB)
Color Management (pre-calibration, target color space sRGB)
Saturation (pre-calibration, target color space sRGB)
Saturation (pre-calibration, target color space sRGB)
ColorChecker (pre-calibration, target color space sRGB)
ColorChecker (pre-calibration, target color space sRGB)
One K33-3E vs. sRGB
One K33-3E vs. sRGB
One K33-3E vs. Adobe RGB
One K33-3E vs. Adobe RGB
One K33-3E vs. Alienware 14
One K33-3E vs. Alienware 14


Using the K33-3E outdoors is no problem. The bright display in combination with the high contrast ratio works well in bright environments. The matte display is even visible under direct sunlight but you should use a place in the shade for longer working sessions. Annoying reflections are reduced to a minimum. 

Outdoor use in a bright environment.
Outdoor use in a bright environment.
Unfortunately, there is some screen bleeding.
Unfortunately, there is some screen bleeding.

The viewing angle stability of inexpensive TN panels is usually horrible. Colors deviate with small changes of the viewing angle or the picture even inverts completely. Fortunately, the display of the K33-3E was a positive surprise with a good viewing angle stability. The picture remains stable even with extreme angles and color deviations are reduced to a minimum. The only problem is angles from above, but the overall impression is still good. 

Viewing angles One K33-3E
Viewing angles One K33-3E

Performance

The performance of a gaming notebook is a crucial aspect. The heart of our configuration is an Intel Core i7-4702MQ that is supported by 8 GB dual channel memory clocked at 1600 MHz. The two memory slots can be upgraded with up to 16 GB DDR3 RAM. More complex graphic calculations are handled by a high-end GPU from Nvidia. The GeForce GTX 765M is deactivated during idle and the Optimus technology switches to the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4600 (400 -1150 MHz). 

One exclusively offers Core i7 processors, you can choose between the 4700MQ, 4800MQ and 4900MQ. All CPUs have a TDP of 47 Watts and only differ in regard to the clock and the size of the L3 cache.

HWiNFO64
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z - Intel HD 4600
GPU-Z - GeForce GTX 765M
DPC Latencies - Idle
DPC Latencies - 720p Video-Streaming
CrystalDiskMark
HD Tune
AS SSD
AS SSD
System information One K33-3E

Processor

The 4702MQ manages up to 3.2 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0.
The 4702MQ manages up to 3.2 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0.
Stress test CPU
Stress test CPU

Intel's Core i7-4702MQ is based on the latest Haswell architecture and is produced in a 22 nm manufacturing process. It has four physical cores with a nominal clock of 2.2 GHz. The clock is lower than the 4700MQ (2.4 – 3.4 GHz), 4800MQ (2.7 – 3.7 GHz) and 4900MQ (2.8 – 3.8 GHz), but the energy consumption is also lower with a maximum TDP of 37 Watts. All CPUs support Intel's Turbo Boost 2.0.

Cinebench R11.5 Single shows the expected result with 1.42 points and the Turbo Boost feature is used to its full extent with a clock of 3.2 GHz. The result of the Multi-Test is slightly behind devices with the same CPU. In this case, the CPU cannot always maintain the maximum Turbo clock of 2.9 GHz and only runs with 2.7 GHz temporarily. As a result, our CPU is "only" comparable with a 3632QM, although it should be around 10% faster. The DevilTech Fire DT 14 has a better cooling solution and can always use the maximum Turbo clock. 

Continuous maximum load for the CPU (Prime95) quickly results in the nominal clock of 2.2 GHz. The clock is reduced to 1.4 GHz on battery power but is not further decreased even under load.

Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
One K33-3E
GeForce GTX 765M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH128GMCT
1.42 Points
SCHENKER XIRIOS B502 i7-3632QM
HD Graphics 4000, 3632QM, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
1.33 Points -6%
Sony Vaio EP14P
Radeon HD 7670M, 3632QM
1.3 Points -8%
Deviltech Fire DT14
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
1.42 Points 0%
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
1.42 Points 0%
Alienware 14
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Liteonit LMT-256M6M
1.51 Points +6%
MSI GE70-i765M287
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Hitachi Travelstar 7K750 HTS727575A9E
1.5 Points +6%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
One K33-3E
GeForce GTX 765M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH128GMCT
5.89 Points
SCHENKER XIRIOS B502 i7-3632QM
HD Graphics 4000, 3632QM, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
5.84 Points -1%
Sony Vaio EP14P
Radeon HD 7670M, 3632QM
5.82 Points -1%
Deviltech Fire DT14
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
6.34 Points +8%
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
6.36 Points +8%
Alienware 14
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Liteonit LMT-256M6M
6.95 Points +18%
MSI GE70-i765M287
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Hitachi Travelstar 7K750 HTS727575A9E
6.63 Points +13%
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4669
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
16090
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6783
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
6149 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
21541 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
6755 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.42 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
5.89 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
55.4 fps
Help

System Performance

Among others, we use PCMark Vantage to evaluate the system performance. The One K33-3E gets a pretty good result in this test and can surpass the 20,000 points mark. The high score is primarily a result of the SSD; systems with fast flash storage are always favored by PCMark. The similarly equipped MSI GE70-i765M287 only gets 9,590 points without an SSD, despite the faster processor. 

Subjectively, the system is very fast and very responsive. 

6.9
Windows 8 Experience Index
Processor
Calculations per second
7.8
Memory (RAM)
Memory operations per second
7.8
Graphics
Desktop performance for Windows Aero
6.9
Gaming graphics
3D business and gaming graphics
6.9
Primary hard disk
Disk data transfer rate
8.1
PCMark Vantage Result
20174 points
PCMark 7 Score
5756 points
Help

Storage Solution

Our review unit is equipped with a 128 GB SSD from Toshiba, which uses the mSATA interface. Around 75.5 GB of that storage can be used. The Solid State Drive gets good results in the synthetic benchmarks, it is not as fast as current high-end drives but the performance differences can only be measured. 

The huge performance advantage in practice compared to a conventional hard drive is primarily a result of the low access time as well as the good read/write performance of small data blocks (4K).

One also offers the significantly faster Samsung 840 SSDs. The possible storage combinations are very comprehensive and you get at least a 5,400 rpm hard drive with a capacity of 500 GB. 

CrystalDiskMark 3.0
Write 4k (sort by value)
One K33-3E
GeForce GTX 765M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH128GMCT
107.9 MB/s
MSI GE70-i765M287
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Hitachi Travelstar 7K750 HTS727575A9E
0.681 MB/s -99%
Alienware 14
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Liteonit LMT-256M6M
64.9 MB/s -40%
Deviltech Fire DT14
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
113.6 MB/s +5%
Read 4k (sort by value)
One K33-3E
GeForce GTX 765M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH128GMCT
22.69 MB/s
MSI GE70-i765M287
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Hitachi Travelstar 7K750 HTS727575A9E
0.295 MB/s -99%
Alienware 14
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Liteonit LMT-256M6M
29.47 MB/s +30%
Deviltech Fire DT14
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
38.01 MB/s +68%
Toshiba HG5d THNSNH128GMCT
Transfer Rate Minimum: 268.9 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 405.2 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 339.8 MB/s
Access Time: 0.1 ms
Burst Rate: 251 MB/s
CPU Usage: 1.5 %

Graphics

Stress test GPU
Stress test GPU

The integrated graphics solution based on the Haswell architecture is the Intel HD 4600; it has a clock of 400 up to 1,150 MHz according to the spec sheet. Since the K33-3E is also equipped with a dedicated GPU, the performance of the integrated solution is limited to a maximum clock of 600 MHz

Nvidia's Optimus technology can switch to the GeForce GTX 765M for more demanding scenarios. The DirectX-11 GPU is based on the Kepler architecture and is manufactured in 28 nm. It has five shader-blocks but only four of them are active; each block contains 192 CUDA cores. The core clock is 850 MHz and can automatically be raised via GPU Boost. Finally, the GPU is supported by 2,048 MB GDDR5 memory.

A look at the performance shows that the GPU belongs to the high-end segment and that it is comparable to a GeForce GTX 670MX and around 10% faster than the Radeon HD 8870M in the synthetic benchmarks. 

The GPU cannot maintain its nominal clock during our stress test with the native display resolution and reduces it to 797 MHz. The clock remains stable on battery power in return, gaming on the go is possible. 

3DMark 03 Standard
43937 points
3DMark 05 Standard
22174 points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
19050 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
15100 points
3DMark 11 Performance
4295 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
76198 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
12285 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2385 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
1135 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Despite the throttling under maximum load, the GeForce GTX 765M performs well and has no problems with daily tasks. Many games can even be played with high details and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Older games are no problem at all, only some current games with very high system requirements can only be played with reduced details. 

Company of Heroes 2
1366x768 High AA:Medium (sort by value)
One K33-3E
GeForce GTX 765M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH128GMCT
25.88 fps
Deviltech Fire DT14
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
21.5 fps -17%
MSI GE70-i765M287
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Hitachi Travelstar 7K750 HTS727575A9E
25.4 fps -2%
Alienware 14
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Liteonit LMT-256M6M
25.2 fps -3%
Schenker W503
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ
26.6 fps +3%
1920x1080 Maximum / Higher / High AA:High (sort by value)
One K33-3E
GeForce GTX 765M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH128GMCT
11.48 fps
MSI GE70-i765M287
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Hitachi Travelstar 7K750 HTS727575A9E
11.6 fps +1%
Alienware 14
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ, Liteonit LMT-256M6M
11.8 fps +3%
Schenker W503
GeForce GTX 765M, 4700MQ
12.1 fps +5%
low med. high ultra
Total War: Shogun 2 (2011) 203.6 81.3 31.41
F1 2012 (2012) 156 118 107 58
BioShock Infinite (2013) 152.2 93.1 78.9 23.25
Metro: Last Light (2013) 73.1 57.9 34.75 18.34
GRID 2 (2013) 130.4 98.5 91.1 24.51
Company of Heroes 2 (2013) 43.74 35.78 25.88 11.48

Emissions

System Noise

Gaming notebooks are noisier compared to their less powerful siblings. The high energy consumption produces a lot of heat that has to be dissipated. The One K33-3E can reach up to 53.4 dB(A) under extreme conditions, which is already annoying. You have to raise the volume during gaming to compensate for the fan noise. The best solution is a headset.  

But the subnotebook can also be very quiet during idle. An average value of 31 dB(A) is a pretty good result. The fan is even deactivated from time to time. However, it also spins up at times without apparent reason and results in an annoying noise of more than 40 dB(A). This phenomenon can also be seen with other Clevo barebones.  

Noise Level

Idle
29.4 / 30.8 / 40.8 dB(A)
Load
49.7 / 53.4 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

Our stress test results in high temperatures.
Our stress test results in high temperatures.

The One K33-3E gets really warm during idle with a maximum temperature of 42.7 °C in the fan area. This is comparable with the Alienware 14 (41.5 °C), the DevilTech Fire DT14, however, is significantly cooler during idle with a maximum temperature of 27.4 °C. 

The situation is different under load. The temperatures rise up to 54.2 °C, the hottest spot is once again at the fan exhaust. The palm rest is not affected by that and is still convenient. The Alienware notebook is significantly cooler in this scenario with a maximum temperature of 46.1 °C while the DT14 lives up to its name Fire and reaches more than 60 °C at several spots.  

Our review unit is nevertheless a pretty hot notebook. We tried to determine the maximum temperatures of the components with our stress test of Prime95 and Furmark. While the GPU stayed at 83 °C due to the throttling, the CPU temperature climbed up to 99 °C. This is pretty much at the suggested limit by Intel (100 °C) and the CPU is only running at its nominal clock. Sometimes the clock even drops below 2.0 GHz. This scenario is really the worst case, but we still would have expected a better and more effective cooling solution

 34.6 °C
94 F
39.4 °C
103 F
39.3 °C
103 F
 
 34.5 °C
94 F
39 °C
102 F
39.1 °C
102 F
 
 33.5 °C
92 F
35.5 °C
96 F
35.5 °C
96 F
 
Maximum: 39.4 °C = 103 F
Average: 36.7 °C = 98 F
36.1 °C
97 F
36.5 °C
98 F
36.8 °C
98 F
37 °C
99 F
37.3 °C
99 F
42.7 °C
109 F
37.2 °C
99 F
37.3 °C
99 F
42 °C
108 F
Maximum: 42.7 °C = 109 F
Average: 38.1 °C = 101 F
Power Supply (max.)  34.4 °C = 94 F | Room Temperature 28 °C = 82 F | Voltcraft IR-550
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 48.7 °C / 120 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 53.8 °C / 129 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 54.2 °C / 130 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 36.7 °C / 98 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 45.2 °C / 113.4 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-16.3 °C / -29.4 F).

Speakers

The speakers of the K33-3E can be really loud. You can also use the speakers to drown out the noisy fan, even under maximum load. The Onkyo speakers do not produce distortions with high volumes, but the sound appears tinny and hollow. Medium tones are basically nonexistent and the bass is very limited. 

The provided software Sound Blaster Cinema does have many settings, but they do not really improve the mediocre sound experience. The situation changes when you attach the notebook to external speakers. The software has many settings, especially for surround sound systems.  

Headphones or headsets can be used with the two stereo jacks and you can provide digital video and audio signals via HDMI

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Despite the Optimus technology, the energy consumption of the K33-3E during idle is not really great with 16 - 27 Watts. The background illumination of the keyboard was always active in our tests. 

The consumption is considerably raised as soon as the GeForce 765M is active under load. The consumption is between 88 and 106 Watts during 3DMark06 and 132 Watts under maximum load. A very high result considering the 120 Watts power supply unit. 

The consumption when the device is turned off (0.1 Watts) and during standby (0.2 Watts) is reasonable. However, the notebook consumes between 4 and 10 Watts when the battery is attached.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 16.1 / 20.4 / 27.3 Watt
Load midlight 94.1 / 131.7 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

The comparatively small 61 Wh battery (Alienware 14: 69 Wh, DevilTech Fire DT14: 65 Wh) does not provide overwhelming runtimes for the One KE33-3E. We determine the maximum runtime with the Battery Eater Reader's Test. The integrated script is executed with deactivated wireless modules and minimum display brightness. The battery was empty after little more than four hours, a sobering result considering that One advertises up to five hours

We use the Battery Eater Classic Test for the minimum runtime. All the wireless modules were activated, we used the maximum display brightness and turned off all energy-saving settings. The device managed 1 hour and 44 minutes. Compared to the rivals (Alienware 14, DevilTech Fire DT14), which only run for around one hour despite the larger battery, this is a pretty good result.  

Our WLAN scenario is more realistic and simulates web browsing with an adjusted display brightness at around 150 cd/m². The battery of the K33-3E has to be recharged after three and a half hours

 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
4h 08min
WiFi Surfing
3h 27min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 44min

Verdict

One K33-3E (Clevo W230ST Barebone)
One K33-3E (Clevo W230ST Barebone)

The One K33-3E has both highlights and drawbacks. The gaming notebook in a subnotebook case has problems with the cooling because of the limited space. Not only the surface temperatures are very warm, but the temperatures of the components during our stress test are sometimes extremely high. CPU temperatures of up to 99 °C are almost critical. Especially gaming notebooks can be used in such demanding scenarios, at least for short periods.

We really liked the excellent Full HD display. It was convincing in almost all categories: Rich contrast, high luminance, almost perfect brightness distribution, good black value and high viewing angle stability combined with an anti-reflective panel - great. The only drawback is the slight screen bleeding at the edges. 

The throttling of the high-end GPU is not really surprising since it was already an issue with the rivals from DevilTech and Alienware. However, the extreme throttling of the CPU can be annoying; the clock is even further reduced to 1.4 GHz on battery power

As long as the device is plugged in, the One K33-3E does deliver the required performance. If you can live with the high system noise under load, you get a capable gaming notebook that is easy to maintain and to upgrade

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In Review: One K33-3E (Clevo W230ST Barebone) Notebook. Courtesy of: ECT Distribution GmbH.
In Review: One K33-3E (Clevo W230ST Barebone) Notebook. Courtesy of: ECT Distribution GmbH.

Specifications

W230ST Barbone
Processor
Intel Core i7-4702MQ 4 x 2.2 - 3.2 GHz (Intel Core i7), Haswell, 22 nm, TDP 37 W, 4 Kerne, 8 Threads, Turbo bis 3,2 GHz
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M - NVIDIA: 2.048 MB, Intel: shared MB VRAM, Core: 850 MHz, Memory: NVIDIA: 1.002 MHz, Intel: 800 MHz, NVIDIA: Kepler, 28 nm, GDDR5, 768 Pipelines, DirectX 11, Shader 5.0, GPU Boost 2.0; Intel HD Graphics 4600: 22 nm, 20 Pipelines, DirectX 11.1, Shader 5.0, NVIDIA: 9.18.13.1154 (ForceWare 311.54), Intel: 9.18.10.3131, NVIDIA Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, 1,600 MHz DDR3, 2 Module, dual-channel, Samsung M471B5173BH0-CK0
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, Chi Mei CMN N133HSE-EA1, TFT, Full HD, LED Backlight, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM87 (Lynx Point)
Storage
Toshiba HG5d THNSNH128GMCT, 128 GB 
, mSATA SSD, 75.5 GB free
Soundcard
VIA VT1802P @ Intel Lynx Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 1x micrphone, 1x headphone, Card Reader: 6-in-1 card reader (MMC, RSMMC, SD, mini SD, SDHC, SDXC), Intel Anti-Theft Technology, Intel Wireless Display (WiDi)
Networking
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230 (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 32 x 330 x 227 ( = 1.26 x 12.99 x 8.94 in)
Battery
62 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6-cell, 5,600 mAh, 11.1 Volts, W230BAT-6, 0.32 kg
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 2,0 MP (BisonCam)
Additional features
Speakers: two Onkyo speakers, Sound Blaster Cinema, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 120W power supply unit (19.5 V, 6.15 A), Driver DVD, Microsoft Office (30-Day Trial), 12-36 Months Warranty
Weight
1.99 kg ( = 70.2 oz / 4.39 pounds), Power Supply: 470 g ( = 16.58 oz / 1.04 pounds)
Price
1050 Euro

 

Simple design: K33-3E.
Simple design: K33-3E.
You can choose between different Core i7 processors based on the Haswell architecture.
You can choose between different Core i7 processors based on the Haswell architecture.
Accessories: Quick start guide and a driver DVD.
Accessories: Quick start guide and a driver DVD.
120 Watts PSU.
120 Watts PSU.
Removable battery with 62.16 Wh.
Removable battery with 62.16 Wh.
Large keyboard.
Large keyboard.
Bright and high-contrast display.
Bright and high-contrast display.
Full HD and 13.3-inches: Not a matter of course.
Full HD and 13.3-inches: Not a matter of course.
The display is anti-reflective.
The display is anti-reflective.
Easy to reach: The power button.
Easy to reach: The power button.
Even the power button is illuminated.
Even the power button is illuminated.
The fan exhaust occupies a lot of space on the left side.
The fan exhaust occupies a lot of space on the left side.
6-in-1 card reader.
6-in-1 card reader.
Several ports on the right side.
Several ports on the right side.
Webcam with 2.0 megapixels.
Webcam with 2.0 megapixels.
Three status LEDs for the keyboard (Num-Lock, Caps-Lock and Scroll-Lock).
Three status LEDs for the keyboard (Num-Lock, Caps-Lock and Scroll-Lock).
The hinges keep the display in position.
The hinges keep the display in position.
Four status LEDs: Power, Battery, Flight Mode and HDD.
Four status LEDs: Power, Battery, Flight Mode and HDD.
Stickers advertise Nvidia graphics, the HDMI port and Sound Blaster Cinema.
Stickers advertise Nvidia graphics, the HDMI port and Sound Blaster Cinema.
A maintenance cover on the bottom.
A maintenance cover on the bottom.
Information label on the bottom.
Information label on the bottom.
The SIM slot is behind the battery. Unfortunately, One does not offer a UMTS module yet.
The SIM slot is behind the battery. Unfortunately, One does not offer a UMTS module yet.
The device is easy to maintain.
The device is easy to maintain.
Heat pipes to dissipate the heat from the CPU and GPU.
Heat pipes to dissipate the heat from the CPU and GPU.
Two memory slots with up to 16 GB RAM.
Two memory slots with up to 16 GB RAM.
The WLAN module and the mSATA slot are easy to access.
The WLAN module and the mSATA slot are easy to access.

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Review Asus G750JW Notebook
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Links

Price Comparison

Pros

+Individual configuration
+Excellent Full HD display
+Good gaming performance
+Good Build quality
+Easy to maintain
+Low weight
 

Cons

-High system noise under load
-Fan-whining during idle
-Throttling in extreme scenarios
-CPU throttling on battery power
-High surface temperatures
-Mediocre speakers

Shortcut

What we like

The excellent Full HD display: Good viewing angle stability, bright, high-contrast, almost perfect brightness distribution and convincing black value.

What we miss

Many Clevo barebones have problems with the fan during idle. When are they going to fix that?

What surprises us

Even the Core i7-4702MQ reaches temperatures of up to 99 °C in our stress test. We really doubt that the situation improves with more powerful CPUs. 

The competition

Among others: Alienware 14, DevilTech Fire DT14, Schenker XMG P303 and Eurocom M3.

Rating

One K33-3E - 06/25/2014 v4(old)
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
74 / 98 → 76%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
72%
Connectivity
72 / 81 → 89%
Weight
63 / 10-66 → 95%
Battery
79%
Display
87%
Games Performance
91%
Application Performance
95%
Temperature
65 / 95 → 68%
Noise
59 / 90 → 66%
Audio
40%
Average
73%
81%
Gaming - Weighted Average
Daniel Schmidt, 2013-08-24 (Update: 2018-05-15)