CES 2020 | Eluktronics announces MAX-15 and MAX-17 gaming laptops, the lightest 15-inch and 17-inch gaming laptops on the market
UPDATE 1/7/2020: Eluktronics provided us with a bit more information on the MAX-15 and MAX-17. In particular, they pointed out that both systems also include a feature they call "EluktroBoost." This is essentially a factory overclock on the CPU and GPU. Eluktronics gave the following example to explain that feature:
As an example, the typical 80 watts from the RTX 2060 receives [sic] an additional 35 watts of power for graphical improvements which have even exceeded 2070 Max-Q equipped laptops. The i7-9750H which has a TDP of 45 watts can run more than double that wattage to significantly improve gaming as well as rendering results for content creators.
Eluktronics hasn't given any benchmarks to see just how much EluktroBoost improves performance, so we'll be sure to explore this feature should we get a review unit.
Eluktronics has steadily been growing in popularity over the past few years, primarily because of the company’s value-oriented gaming laptops. The US-based manufacturer/value-added retailer recently added two new models to its catalogue, and they are priced to compete in the upper-mid-range gaming space.
The MAX-15 and MAX-17 are the latest gaming machines from Eluktronics. As their names suggest, the MAX-15 has a 15.6-inch display, while the MAX-17 has a 17.3-inch display. The displays in both machines sport Full HD resolutions (1920x1080) with 144 Hz refresh rates.
Eluktronics claims that both devices are the lightest gaming laptops with their respective display sizes, and that may well be true thanks to their magnesium alloy cases. The MAX-15 weighs a mere 3.82 lbs, and the MAX-17 weighs in at 4.71 lbs. The laptops are also fairly compact, thanks to the narrow bezels around their respective displays. You can check the chart below for exact dimensions.
Despite their light weights, both machines are packed with fairly powerful hardware. Both use Intel’s Core i7-9750H CPU. The MAX-15 can be configured with either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-P or RTX 2070 Max-P, while the MAX-17 can opt for an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-P, RTX 2060 Max-P, or RTX 2070 Max-P. Both laptops can be configured with up to two 4 TB PCIe NVMe SSDs and up to 64 GB of RAM.
Both the Eluktronics MAX-15 and MAX-17 are available from purchase from Eluktronics now. Both machines start at US $1499.
| MAX-15 | MAX-17 | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-9750H | Intel Core i7-9750H |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-P (6 GB GDDR6) or RTX 2070 Max-P (8 GB GDDR6) | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-P (6 GB GDDR6), RTX 2060 Max-P (6 GB GDDR6), or RTX 2070 Max-P (8 GB GDDR6) |
| RAM | Up to 64 GB DDR4 2666 MHz | Up to 64 GB DDR4 2666 MHz |
| Storage | Up to 2x 4 TB PCIe NVMe SSD (8 TB total) | Up to 2x 4 TB PCIe NVMe SSD (8 TB total) |
| Display | 15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080), 144 Hz | 17.3-inch FHD (1920x1080), 144 Hz |
| Wireless | Intel Wireless-AC 9560 2x2, Bluetooth 5.0 | Intel Wireless-AC 9560 2x2, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Power | 230 W adapter, 4-cell 62.32 Wh battery | 180 W (GTX 1660 Ti SKU) or 230 W adapter, 6-cell 91.24 Wh battery |
| I/O | 2x mini-DisplayPort, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A 3.1 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1, microSD card reader, RJ45, combo audio jack, Kensington lock | 1x Thunderbolt 3, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x USB-A 3.1 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1, microSD card reader, RJ45, Audio out, Mic in, Kensington lock |
| Weight | 3.82 | 4.71 lbs |
| Dimensions | 13.97 x 9.29 x 0.77 inches | 15.39 x 10.23 x 0.78 inches |
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