DogHouse Systems Mobius SS (Clevo P770DM) Notebook Review
DogHouse Systems is a Texas-based custom reseller and builder of desktops and laptops catered to high performance users. Its current Mobius series of laptops consists of the lower-end VS lineup up to the ES, TL, and flagship SS lineup all based on Clevo barebones.
Our particular model today is the high-end Mobius SS based on the Clevo P770DM barebones. This is essentially the same chassis as our previously reviewed Clevo P770ZM but with a USB Type-C port thrown in for good measure with other minor adjustments. Thus, we recommend checking out our page on the P770ZM for more information and details on case quality, input devices, and other hardware features.
Case
The size of the Mobius SS is on the small side for a 17.3-inch powerhouse. Competing gaming systems like the MSI GT72S, Acer Predator 17, and Asus G752 are all larger than the Mobius SS in length, width, and height. The Alienware 17 R3 is noticeably thinner, but still carries a larger footprint. Our Mobius configuration is not significantly lighter than the competition either, so this is a dense build from the bottom up.
Connectivity
Available ports include all those found on the P770ZM less one USB 3.0 Type-A port in favor of the more future-proof and versatile USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 2 port with Thunderbolt 3 compatibility. This puts the Mobius SS in the same ballpark as other high-end systems like the MSI GT72S, though with fewer USB 3.0 Type-A ports from six down to four.
Communication
WLAN is provided by a dual-band Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network module capable of transfer rates of up to 867 Mbps. We experienced no connectivity or dropout issues during our time with the test unit.
Maintenance
The bottom two panels can be easily removed with a Philips screwdriver. In classic Clevo style, most components are accessible from the bottom without any hassles aside from the M.2 WLAN card and last two DDR4 SODIMM slots behind the keyboard.
Accessories
Included extras are a mouse pad, screen wipe, USB flash drive, Windows 10 disc, tote bag, extra screws, and a Quick Start Guide. We would have liked to see a carrying case or perhaps an adapter or two similar to what's included with Asus ZenBooks or HP Spectre notebooks.
Warranty
The standard one-year limited warranty applies to all new purchases of DogHouse notebooks. This can be extended to three years for $195, though certain manufacturers and resellers like Gigabyte and iBuyPower tend to offer two-year limited warranty as standard instead.
Input Devices
Keyboard & TouchPad
The keys and touchpad are the standard Clevo fare and are essentially the same in design and feel across 17-inch Clevo barebones. Thus, there's nothing new about them that we have not covered in our previous reviews of Clevo and Schenker notebooks. In short, the keys offer firm feedback and travel and are quiet with a soft clatter, but offer little else in terms of dedicated Macro keys or auxiliary keys as found on Alienware and MSI counterparts. The smooth touchpad works without any major issues but could be a bit larger especially for multi-finger inputs.
The useful FlexiKey and Control Center software from the Clevo P770ZM have made their way to the P770DM in full form.
Display
The native 1080p display uses the same LP173WF4-SPD1 panel as found on the Clevo P770ZM and a number of other gaming notebooks from Asus and MSI. Thus, quality and color reproduction are both very close to that of our Clevo P770ZM measurements. We can notice no abnormalities on the screen including color grains that are normally more apparent on matte panels. Display brightness and contrast are also on par with the displays found on competing high-end gaming models.
Backlight bleeding occurs just slightly on the bottom left and top right corners as shown below. It is essentially unnoticeable during everyday use and is not significant enough to be a distraction when gaming or during movie playback.
|
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 355 cd/m²
Contrast: 700:1 (Black: 0.507 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.01 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.44 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
86.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
57% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
63.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
86.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.09
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS 17.30, 1920x1080 | Asus G752VY-RH71 17.30, 1920x1080 | Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935) 17.30, 1920x1080 | Eurocom Sky DLX7 17.30, 3840x2160 | Lenovo ThinkPad P70 17.30, 3840x2160 | Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV 17.30, 1920x1080 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | -2% | -2% | 33% | 28% | -2% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 67.8 | 67.2 -1% | 66.9 -1% | 86.3 27% | 90.8 34% | 66.7 -2% |
sRGB Coverage | 86.8 | 85.2 -2% | 83.9 -3% | 99.9 15% | 100 15% | 84.7 -2% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 63.5 | 62.3 -2% | 61.4 -3% | 99.5 57% | 85.4 34% | 62 -2% |
Response Times | -5% | 18% | -7% | -5% | 18% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 38.8 ? | 42.8 ? -10% | 33 ? 15% | 45 -16% | 44 ? -13% | 37 ? 5% |
Response Time Black / White * | 28.8 ? | 28.4 ? 1% | 23 ? 20% | 28 3% | 27.6 ? 4% | 20 ? 31% |
PWM Frequency | 228 ? | |||||
Screen | 13% | 5% | 16% | 13% | 7% | |
Brightness middle | 355 | 346.8 -2% | 360 1% | 324.1 -9% | 365 3% | 337 -5% |
Brightness | 328 | 330 1% | 336 2% | 314 -4% | 341 4% | 303 -8% |
Brightness Distribution | 84 | 91 8% | 90 7% | 81 -4% | 85 1% | 85 1% |
Black Level * | 0.507 | 0.393 22% | 0.44 13% | 0.4 21% | 0.4 21% | 0.26 49% |
Contrast | 700 | 882 26% | 818 17% | 810 16% | 913 30% | 1296 85% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.01 | 3.72 26% | 4.76 5% | 4.57 9% | 3.8 24% | 5.92 -18% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.67 | 8.45 3% | 10.8 -25% | |||
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.44 | 2.93 46% | 3.69 32% | 2.81 48% | 6.09 -12% | 7.55 -39% |
Gamma | 2.09 105% | 2.23 99% | 2.24 98% | 2.43 91% | 2.3 96% | 2.42 91% |
CCT | 6826 95% | 6525 100% | 6091 107% | 6313 103% | 6332 103% | 7270 89% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 57 | 56 -2% | 55 -4% | 88 54% | 76.01 33% | 56 -2% |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 86.8 | 85.2 -2% | 84 -3% | 100 15% | 99.97 15% | 85 -2% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 2% /
7% | 7% /
5% | 14% /
17% | 12% /
14% | 8% /
7% |
* ... smaller is better
Color coverage is measured to be 57 percent and 86.8 percent of AdobeRGB and sRGB standards, respectively. This is compared to most mainstream TN or IPS panels where sRGB coverage is typically in the mid 60 percent range. Other Clevo barebones like the P775DM may carry panel options that cover sRGB in its entirety. For gaming purposes, however, color accuracy is usually not a priority.
Further analyses with an X-Rite spectrophotometer reveal adequate color and grayscale accuracy out-of-the-box. A quick calibration, however, will noticeably improve grayscale and colors across the board. Colors still become less accurate at higher saturation levels due to imperfect sRGB coverage.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
28.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.2 ms rise | |
↘ 23.6 ms fall | ||
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 72 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
38.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17.6 ms rise | |
↘ 21.2 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 53 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Outdoor visibility is acceptable under shade while direct sunlight will wash out onscreen content. The matte IPS panel and far-reaching hinges (~150 degrees) offer wide viewing angles to reduce glare as needed. Too steep of a viewing angle can cause purple or blue hues.
Performance
Clevo barebones are some of the first notebooks to incorporate a standard LGA 1151 for desktop CPUs. Our base clock rate of 4 GHz is already faster than the clock rates of Intel processors designed for notebooks from the ground up. TDP is almost twice as demanding from 47 W on a typical high-end Skylake CPU like the Core i7-6700HQ to 91 W for our Core i7-6700K.
The integrated HD Graphics 530 is disabled (i.e., no Optimus) in order to take full advantage of the capabilities of the GTX 980M.
Processor
Raw CPU performance is almost identical to that of the Core i7-4790K Haswell processor in multi-threaded benchmarks and roughly 20 percent ahead of the more common i7-6700HQ. It's worth noting that the i7-4790K is slightly faster in single-threaded processes due to its higher Turbo Boost for a single active core. The longer-running Super Pi benchmark better exemplifies this advantage.
Cinebench R15 | |
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
Eurocom X8 | |
Asus G752VY-GC110T | |
Eurocom Shark 4 | |
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
Eurocom X8 | |
Asus G752VY-GC110T | |
Eurocom Shark 4 |
Cinebench R11.5 | |
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
Eurocom X8 | |
Asus G752VY-GC110T | |
Eurocom Shark 4 | |
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
Eurocom X8 | |
Asus G752VY-GC110T | |
Eurocom Shark 4 |
Cinebench R10 | |
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
Eurocom X8 | |
Asus G752VY-GC110T | |
Eurocom Shark 4 | |
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
Eurocom X8 | |
Asus G752VY-GC110T | |
Eurocom Shark 4 |
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
Eurocom X8 | |
Asus G752VY-GC110T | |
Eurocom Shark 4 |
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
Eurocom X8 | |
Asus G752VY-GC110T | |
Eurocom Shark 4 |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
PCMark 7 ranks our Mobius SS system ahead of its closest competitors. The numbers do appear to be inflated, however, as our Eurocom Sky DLX7 configuration is objectively more powerful than the Mobius SS configuration in GPU and SSD power. The more demanding 4K UHD resolution of our Eurocom model may be partly responsible for the lower final numbers. PCMark 8 shows our Mobius SS system to be equal to the Asus G752VY if not just very slightly ahead.
We experienced no hardware or software related issues during our time with the DogHouse notebook.
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
Asus G752VY-RH71 | |
Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV | |
Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P70 |
PCMark 8 | |
Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
Asus G752VY-RH71 | |
Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P70 | |
Work Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
Asus G752VY-RH71 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P70 | |
Creative Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
Asus G752VY-RH71 | |
Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV |
PCMark 7 Score | 7576 points | |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 5260 points | |
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 7212 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 5633 points | |
Help |
Storage Devices
Available storage slots include one M.2 2280 bay and two 2.5-inch bays for a total of three internal drives. This is one fewer than on the Clevo P770ZM and without NVMe support as well, so the P770DM is behind systems like the GT72S or Alienware 17 R3 is this regard.
Despite the lack of NVMe, the 1 TB 2.5-inch Samsung EVO 850 SSD delivers read and write speeds near the limit of the SATA III interface at roughly 500 MB/s. This handily outperforms The Samsung PM871 and Lite-On CV1 in our ThinkPad P70 and Acer Predator 17 test units, respectively. Systems with NVMe drives are still twice as fast in raw transfer rates at the very least than any standard SATA III-based SSD.
See our growing table of SSDs and HDDs for more benchmarks and comparisons.
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB | Asus G752VY-GC110T GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Plextor PX-G256M6e | Alienware 17 R2 GeForce GTX 980M, 4980HQ, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G | Eurocom Sky DLX7 GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e | Lenovo ThinkPad P70 Quadro M3000M, 6820HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH | Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AS SSD | -215% | -31% | 126% | -23% | -80% | |
Copy Game MB/s | 396.1 | 1181 198% | 355.4 -10% | 265.4 -33% | ||
Copy Program MB/s | 305.6 | 559 83% | 246.2 -19% | 170.1 -44% | ||
Copy ISO MB/s | 446.7 | 1539 245% | 389 -13% | 339.2 -24% | ||
Score Total | 1136 | 602 -47% | 1007 -11% | 2681 136% | 1012 -11% | 769 -32% |
Score Write | 451 | 169 -63% | 362 -20% | 644 43% | 384 -15% | 285 -37% |
Score Read | 443 | 291 -34% | 423 -5% | 1538 247% | 412 -7% | 322 -27% |
Access Time Write * | 0.03 | 0.238 -693% | 0.061 -103% | 0.026 13% | 0.056 -87% | 0.188 -527% |
Access Time Read * | 0.041 | 0.568 -1285% | 0.078 -90% | 0.03 27% | 0.069 -68% | 0.111 -171% |
4K-64 Write | 294.1 | 103.5 -65% | 259.2 -12% | 354 20% | 255.5 -13% | 218.5 -26% |
4K-64 Read | 349.8 | 218.4 -38% | 345.3 -1% | 1113 218% | 341.7 -2% | 259 -26% |
4K Write | 107.8 | 16.12 -85% | 59.9 -44% | 142.5 32% | 82.7 -23% | 33.45 -69% |
4K Read | 41.84 | 8.18 -80% | 29.14 -30% | 48.55 16% | 22.61 -46% | 15.09 -64% |
Seq Write | 492.5 | 492.7 0% | 424.2 -14% | 1476 200% | 458.1 -7% | 332.9 -32% |
Seq Read | 516 | 643 25% | 481.8 -7% | 1962 280% | 477.8 -7% | 483.6 -6% |
* ... smaller is better
GPU Performance
3DMark 11 Performance | 12364 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 151863 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 27362 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 8793 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score | 4522 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
The GTX 980M is able to play most (if not all) of today's titles on maximum settings assuming a 1080p display resolution. Most titles average 60 FPS except for the most demanding of games such as Arkham Knight or Rise of the Tomb Raider. Higher native resolutions are possible via external monitors so long as users are willing to reduce graphical settings along the way.
See our dedicated GTX 980M GPU page for more benchmarks and comparisons.
Fallout 4 | |
1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD |
Sleeping Dogs | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:High | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD | |
1920x1080 Extreme Preset AA:Extreme | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD |
BioShock Infinite | |
1366x768 High Preset | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD |
Metro: Last Light | |
1366x768 High (DX11) AF:16x | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD | |
1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD |
Rise of the Tomb Raider | |
1920x1080 High Preset AA:FX AF:4x | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD | |
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD |
Thief | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD | |
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD |
Metal Gear Solid V | |
1920x1080 High / On | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD | |
1920x1080 Extra High / On | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS | |
Aorus X3 Plus v5 | |
MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
Dell XPS 15 9550 i7 FHD |
low | med. | high | ultra | |
Sleeping Dogs (2012) | 176.6 | 59.7 | ||
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 205.5 | 92.4 | ||
Metro: Last Light (2013) | 125.8 | 70.6 | ||
Thief (2014) | 114.7 | 65.4 | ||
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) | 92.5 | 71.5 | ||
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) | 76 | 52 | ||
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) | 60 | 60 | ||
Fallout 4 (2015) | 73.8 | 59.7 | ||
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) | 60.4 | 51.6 |
Stress Test
The DogHouse notebook performs very well when under extreme stress. The CPU is able to maintain its base clock rate of 4.0 GHz under Prime95 stress and even when under both Prime95 and FurMark stress. Its average CPU temperature, however, settles at nearly 100 C under such conditions despite the notebook's large cooling system, which is much higher than other large 17-inch gaming notebooks with mobile CPUs. Meanwhile, the GPU settles at a much more comfortable ceiling of about 75 C under extreme conditions.
Unigine Heaven is much more representative of gaming loads. The CPU remains above its base clock rate while the GPU benefits from a stable GPU Boost. Core temperatures for both processors peak at about 70 C under these conditions.
Running on battery power will throttle both the CPU and GPU. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Graphics and Physics scores of 6801 points and 7173 points, respectively, compared to 12967 points and 11011 points when on mains.
CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (C) | Average GPU Temperature (C) | |
Prime95 Stress |
4.0 | -- | ~77 | -- |
FurMark Stress |
-- | 861 | -- | ~69 |
Prime95 + FurMark Stress |
3.9 - 4.0 | 899 - 962 | ~98 | ~74 |
Unigine Heaven Stress |
4.0+ | 1126 | ~69 | ~69 |
Emissions
System Noise
The cooling system consists of two 60 mm fans of different sizes and seven heat pipes in a very dense formation. While the fans are inactive when the notebook is idling, it doesn't take much of a load before they start spinning. They are still relatively silent, however, at just the low 30 dB(A) range during heavy browsing or multi-tasking. Gaming will bump fan noise steadily up to the 43 dB(A) range while maximum load with Prime95 and FurMark will max out the fans at just over 45 dB(A). The manual fan controls offer some control over fan noise until at least a certain temperature is reached before throttling occurs.
The Mobius SS is indeed louder than some of its competitors when gaming due in part to having a more powerful and upgradeable CPU.
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB | Asus G752VY-RH71 GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe | Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935) GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung PM951 NVMe 512 GB | Eurocom Sky DLX7 GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e | Lenovo ThinkPad P70 Quadro M3000M, 6820HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH | Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | -4% | -3% | -1% | 5% | -8% | |
off / environment * | 28.6 | 30 -5% | 30 -5% | |||
Idle Minimum * | 28.9 | 33.4 -16% | 31 -7% | 31.9 -10% | 30 -4% | 32 -11% |
Idle Average * | 30.6 | 33.5 -9% | 32 -5% | 32 -5% | 30 2% | 33 -8% |
Idle Maximum * | 33 | 33.5 -2% | 33 -0% | 34 -3% | 30 9% | 37 -12% |
Load Average * | 43.4 | 40.3 7% | 38 12% | 39 10% | 36.5 16% | 44 -1% |
Load Maximum * | 45.5 | 45.1 1% | 50 -10% | 44.5 2% | 40.8 10% | 49 -8% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
Idle |
| 28.9 / 30.6 / 33 dB(A) |
Load |
| 43.4 / 45.5 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance) environment noise: 28.6 dB(A) |
Temperature
Surface temperatures average about 30 C when idling with hot spots as warm as 36 C on the bottom of the unit. Maximum load for over an hour can cause the bottom rear of the unit to be as warm as 60 C. The palm rests and touchpad remain cool in comparison, though the center area of the keyboard can be warmer than 40 C under extreme conditions. This is warmer than on the Asus G752 and Acer Predator 17 while being cooler than the Alienware 17 R3 on average.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.9 °C / 116 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 59 °C / 138 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.1 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.2 °C / 84.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-0.3 °C / -0.6 F).
Speakers
Audio quality from the 2.1 internal Onkyo speakers is good with acceptable bass and no static or noticeable distortions at higher volume settings. Its reproduction of lower frequency sounds is better than on smaller notebooks like the XPS 13 and is much more consistent into the higher frequencies as well. Maximum volume is sufficiently loud for a small room with SPDIF/Line-in options as needed.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Power draw is higher than many of its competitors as expected by quite the margin due largely to its desktop Skylake processor (again). Systems like the Schenker XMG U726 demand even more power as they utilize both a desktop CPU and a GTX 980.
It's worth noting that the power adapter itself is rated for 230 W while our Maximum Load measurement when running both Prime95 and FurMark was calculated to be just over 240 W.
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB | Asus G752VY-GC110T GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Plextor PX-G256M6e | Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935) GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung PM951 NVMe 512 GB | SCHENKER XMG U726 GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6700, Samsung SM951 MZHPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e | Lenovo ThinkPad P70 Quadro M3000M, 6820HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH | Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 26% | 36% | -31% | 42% | 42% | |
Idle Minimum * | 27.7 | 14.9 46% | 12 57% | 36 -30% | 12.1 56% | 11 60% |
Idle Average * | 31.5 | 21.1 33% | 18 43% | 45 -43% | 19.7 37% | 17 46% |
Idle Maximum * | 31.6 | 29.4 7% | 26 18% | 53 -68% | 20.5 35% | 22 30% |
Load Average * | 160.2 | 134.5 16% | 95 41% | 139 13% | 94.3 41% | 96 40% |
Load Maximum * | 242.4 | 174 28% | 188 22% | 306 -26% | 139.6 42% | 164 32% |
* ... smaller is better
Off / Standby | 0.33 / 1.3 Watt |
Idle | 27.7 / 31.5 / 31.6 Watt |
Load |
160.2 / 242.4 Watt |
Battery Life
Runtimes from the removable 82 Wh battery pack are exactly what we were expecting given the sheer size and power demands of the notebook. We were able to squeeze out just over 3 hours of constant WLAN use on the Balanced profile, which isn't bad considering that there is no Optimus option. The more power-hungry Eurocom Sky DLX7 clocks in just under 2.5 hours under the same conditions while other high-end 17-inch notebooks with Optimus can last for hours longer.
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS 82 Wh | Asus G752VY-RH71 67 Wh | Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935) 92 Wh | Eurocom Sky DLX7 82 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad P70 96 Wh | Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV 90 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | 23% | 115% | -28% | 48% | 93% | |
Reader / Idle | 248 | 368 48% | 758 206% | 157 -37% | 464 87% | 702 183% |
WiFi v1.3 | 182 | 241 32% | 444 144% | 140 -23% | 361 98% | 358 97% |
Load | 111 | 100 -10% | 105 -5% | 83 -25% | 64 -42% | 109 -2% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The draw of a Clevo system has always been the accessibility, ease of troubleshooting, and end-user upgradeability options. The Mobius SS doesn't disappoint in this regard and Clevo's trump card against competitors lies in the standard LGA 1151 socket for compatibility with a range of desktop processors. If this option is particularly important, then the Mobius SS or equivalent Clevo barebone would be a reasonable purchase.
Outside of the i7-6700K CPU, however, an MSI GT72S or Asus G752 with the same GTX 980M GPU can potentially come cheaper than the Mobius SS while running quieter as well. The GT72S in particular offers easy accessibility options, NVMe SSDs, and longer battery life compared to the DogHouse system.
What the Mobius SS offers is excellent in terms of performance and quality, though the desktop CPU comes at a cost in terms of noise, heat, and runtimes while offering very little improvement in gaming performance over high-end mobile processors as found on the GT72S or G752 series of notebooks.
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
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03/10/2016 v5(old)
Allen Ngo