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Eurocom Nightsky RX17 (Clevo PB71RF) Laptop Review

A Clevo that's difficult to service. The mid-size Nightsky RX17 offers high-end gaming performance as one would expect from a Eurocom product. Unfortunately, it drops the one feature that makes other Eurocom gaming laptops so appealing to enthusiasts and tinkerers.

The Eurocom Nightsky RX17 is a high-end 17.3-inch gaming laptop based on the Clevo PB71RF chassis design. When compared to the thinner Eurocom Q8 and thicker Eurocom Sky X7C, the Nightsky RX17 sits comfortably in between in terms of size and weight while still offering the kind of gaming experience enthusiasts would expect.

Configurations are surprisingly minimal when compared to most other Eurocom systems. As of this writing, users can choose between just two 9th gen Intel CPUs (i7-9750H or i9-9980HK) and two GPUs (GTX 1660 Ti or RTX 2070) while the 144 Hz FHD display remains fixed across all SKUs. Our test unit today is equipped with the Core i7 CPU, RTX 2070 GPU, 32 GB RAM, and two 512 GB Samsung SSD 970 Pro drives for a retail price of about $2900. The system competes directly with other enthusiast ultra-thin or mid-sized 17.3-inch gaming laptops like the Asus ROG GL704, Lenovo Legion Y740, MSI GS75, MSI GE75, Razer Blade Pro 17, Alienware m17, and Acer Predator Helios 500.

More Eurocom reviews:

Eurocom Nightsky RX17
Processor
Intel Core i7-9750H 6 x 2.6 - 4.5 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1315 MHz, Memory: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, 430.86, Optimus
Memory
32 GB 
, DDR4-3000, PC4-24000, 18-18-18-43, Dual-Channel
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, BOE NV173FHM-N44, IPS, BOE07B6, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0), 1024 GB 
Soundcard
Nvidia TU106 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
5 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm earphones, 3.5 mm microphone, Card Reader: SD reader, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 29.9 x 399 x 275 ( = 1.18 x 15.71 x 10.83 in)
Battery
62 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Primary Camera: 1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo 2 W + 4 W Subwoofer, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Control Center 3.0, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.9 kg ( = 102.29 oz / 6.39 pounds), Power Supply: 826 g ( = 29.14 oz / 1.82 pounds)
Price
2900 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Clevo laptop designs are the antithesis to unibody designs. In contrast to the leaner look of an Apple MacBook or Razer Blade, a Clevo chassis will have more texture differences and more individual pieces. This isn't necessarily an inferior approach because it allows for a wider variety of styles and potentially easier serviceability. The Nightsky RX17 has plenty of screws and sharp design elements that make it standout visually from the usual crowd of MSI, Asus, Alienware, or Acer gaming laptops.

Chassis rigidity is excellent around the base while the lid is more flexible as one would expect from most 17-inch laptops. Applying moderate pressure on the keyboard center or outer lid will depress their surfaces just slightly. The main drawback isn't the minimal flexing, but the minor creaking when attempting to twist the base or lid. Even opening up the display will cause some slight-but-audible creaking. This gives a poorer first impression than the more unibody varieties which tend to creak less or almost none at all.

The most fragile parts of the chassis continues to be the grilles along the rear corners of the machine as shown by our picture below. Applying just light pressure to the thin grilles will flex them noticeably. We pointed out this same issue on the Clevo P775TM1 as well and the Nightsky RX17 is no different in this regard.

The narrow bezels make the system both noticeably smaller in footprint and slightly thinner when compared to the older Eurocom Q8. In fact, dimensions are quite close to the high-end MSI GE75. Users who may be turned off by the bulkier MSI GT series or Eurocom Sky X7C will find the Nightsky RX17 to be an acceptable compromise in terms of size.

Smooth metal for the palm rests and outer lid while the rougher bottom panel is ABS plastic
Smooth metal for the palm rests and outer lid while the rougher bottom panel is ABS plastic
Lid opened to maximum angle (~140 degrees)
Lid opened to maximum angle (~140 degrees)
Small hinges are relatively firm, but they will creak slightly when opening and closing
Small hinges are relatively firm, but they will creak slightly when opening and closing
The fragile rear grilles. Because the grille is so thin and narrow, pressing on it with a finger with flex them noticeably
The fragile rear grilles. Because the grille is so thin and narrow, pressing on it with a finger with flex them noticeably
418 mm / 16.5 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 24.9 mm / 0.98 inch 3 kg6.59 lbs412.6 mm / 16.2 inch 304.9 mm / 12 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs399 mm / 15.7 inch 275 mm / 10.8 inch 29.9 mm / 1.177 inch 2.9 kg6.39 lbs397 mm / 15.6 inch 268.5 mm / 10.6 inch 27.5 mm / 1.083 inch 2.7 kg5.86 lbs399 mm / 15.7 inch 272 mm / 10.7 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.6 kg5.81 lbs395 mm / 15.6 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 2.8 kg6.06 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Most ports are located along the rear of the unit which can save on desk space at the cost of accessibility. We appreciate the smaller and less cumbersome AC adapter port as opposed to the thicker AC adapter cable for the Sky X7C. Competing systems like the Alienware m17 or MSI GE75 offer fewer ports than the Nightsky RX17.

Front: SD card reader (underneath)
Front: SD card reader (underneath)
Right: USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.0 Type-A
Right: USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.0 Type-A
Rear: Gigabit RJ-45, HDMI 2.0, mDP 1.3, USB 3.0 Type-C, USB 3.0 Type-A, AC adapter
Rear: Gigabit RJ-45, HDMI 2.0, mDP 1.3, USB 3.0 Type-C, USB 3.0 Type-A, AC adapter
Left: Kensington Lock, USB 3.0, 3.5 mm earphones, 3.5 mm microphone
Left: Kensington Lock, USB 3.0, 3.5 mm earphones, 3.5 mm microphone

SD Card Reader

Recessed spring-loaded SD reader makes it safe for transporting
Recessed spring-loaded SD reader makes it safe for transporting

Users must flip the laptop upside-down in order to access the SD reader along the front edge. It's somewhat of an inconvenience especially for a gaming laptop of this screen size, but it's definitely better than having no card reader at all. Transfer rates are very fast from our UHS-II test card; moving 1 GB worth of pictures from card to desktop takes just under 6 seconds compared to 15 seconds on the Asus ZenBook 15 card reader.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
198.5 MB/s
Eurocom Q8
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
183 MB/s -8%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
174.4 MB/s -12%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
65.6 MB/s -67%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
219.1 MB/s
Eurocom Q8
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
209 MB/s -5%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
203.4 MB/s -7%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
78 MB/s -64%

Communication

WLAN and Bluetooth are provided by the Intel 9260, 9560, or Killer 1550 depending on the configuration. Our test unit comes equipped with the latter to be compatible with Killer-specific features as detailed here. Note that performance can be faster than what we've recorded below since our server setup is limited by a 1 Gbps line. Theoretical transfer rates can go up to 1.73 Gbps for the Intel 9560 or Killer 1550.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
697 MBit/s +10%
Eurocom Q8
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
682 MBit/s +8%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
647 MBit/s +2%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
634 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
686 MBit/s +13%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
679 MBit/s +12%
Eurocom Q8
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
648 MBit/s +7%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
606 MBit/s

Control Center 3.0

Home screen with five options
Home screen with five options
Preset power settings
Preset power settings
Fan speed controls
Fan speed controls
per-key RGB customization
per-key RGB customization
Flexikey for customizing keyboard macros
Flexikey for customizing keyboard macros
GPU overclock screen
GPU overclock screen

Maintenance

(Source: Eurocom)
(Source: Eurocom)

For a Clevo chassis, this is one of the harder models to service. Not only are there far too many screws (20!) securing the bottom panel, but users must also remove the keyboard and disconnect its ribbons before they can even pop off the bottom panel. This is a far cry from all other Clevo models we've tested thus far where 30 seconds with a basic Philips screwdriver would be all the time and effort you needed to begin servicing.

The included user's manual does not detail how to properly disassemble or upgrade the system. Nonetheless, users will have two M.2 2280 storage slots, two SODIMM slots, a 2.5-inch SATA III bay, and an M.2 WLAN slot.

Accessories and Warranty

Included extras are a user's guide and a drivers and utilities DVD. We find the latter to be pointless since the Nightsky RX17 does not integrate an optical drive and all drivers can be easily found on the official Eurocom website anyway.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies with options to extend up to three years for an additional $300.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The per-key RGB keyboard feels a lot like the SteelSeries keyboards on most MSI laptops like the GE75 or GS75. Aspects like the moderate key clatter and satisfying click are very similar between them. We find the beveled keyboard on the larger Sky X7C to be firmer and quieter but not by enough to make the typing experience feel better or worse on the chiclet Nightsky RX17 keyboard.

Our main complaint stems from the cramped NumPad keys as they are narrower than the main QWERTY keys. While the size reduction would be understandable for a 15-inch laptop, 17-inch laptops like our Nightsky RX17 have the space for a full-size NumPad. The NumPad keys on the Sky X7C, for example, are the same size as the main QWERTY keys.

Touchpad

The trackpad surface (~10.8 x 6.2 cm) is unlike most trackpads we've seen because it's completely smooth with no bumps or roughness to it at all. The tactile experience can be reproduced by putting your smartphone on a flat surface and gliding your finger back and forth across the glass screen; you will notice that resistance is not consistent which makes for a poorer experience when translated onto a laptop clickpad. It's especially difficult to hold the cursor completely still since there is little traction when gliding very slowly. Early Gigabyte Aorus laptops took a similar approach to its trackpad before eventually moving on to a textured surface for later redesigns.

The dedicated mouse keys are very quiet with soft feedback and moderate travel when pressed in contrast to the shallower and louder keys of the MSI GT73. Dedicated mouse keys allow for more accurate clicking and dragging and dropping when compared to clickpads.

Fingerprints accumulate very quickly on the completely smooth trackpad which also doubles as a fingerprint reader
Fingerprints accumulate very quickly on the completely smooth trackpad which also doubles as a fingerprint reader
Typing experience is not unlike on most MSI laptops
Typing experience is not unlike on most MSI laptops
Narrower NumPad keys make for a cramped experience
Narrower NumPad keys make for a cramped experience

Display

The BOE NV173FHM-N44 IPS panel on our unit can also be found on the Schenker XMG Neo 17 and so both of these systems share nearly the same response times, contrast levels, and color coverage. This particular panel is notable for its fast 144 Hz refresh rate for smoother movements both in and out of gaming. It's difficult to revert back to 60 Hz displays once you become accustomed to high refresh rate panels.

Display quality is significantly better than the AU Optronics TN panel on last year's Eurocom Q8. Contrast is higher, gamut is wider, and colors are both deeper and more accurate. The display is slightly dimmer this time around to be on equal footing with most other 17-inch gaming laptops like the Zephyrus S GX701 and Legion Y740-17ICH. While response times are still fast to minimize ghosting, they aren't nearly as fast as the latest 3 ms panels on some 15.6-inch laptops like the MSI GS65.

The screen is every-so-slightly grainy as to be expected from a matte panel when compared to glossy alternatives. There is light-moderate uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom left corner of our unit that only becomes noticeable during the initial dark bootup screen or when viewing videos with black borders.

No edge-to-edge glass option for the matte screen
No edge-to-edge glass option for the matte screen
Narrow side bezels for a compact chassis
Narrow side bezels for a compact chassis
Some uneven backlight bleeding near the bottom left corner
Some uneven backlight bleeding near the bottom left corner
Matte subpixel array
Matte subpixel array
282.1
cd/m²
285.4
cd/m²
278.3
cd/m²
290.2
cd/m²
298.4
cd/m²
287.8
cd/m²
272.3
cd/m²
303.4
cd/m²
285.4
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE NV173FHM-N44 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 303.4 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 287 cd/m² Minimum: 18.45 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 298.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 995:1 (Black: 0.3 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.58 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.82
ΔE Greyscale 3.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
92.7% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
93.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.24
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
BOE NV173FHM-N44, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
AU Optronics B173HAN04.0, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
B173HAN04.0 (AUO409D), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
MSI GS75 8SG Stealth
N173HCE-G33 (CMN175C), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Eurocom Q8
AU Optronics B173QTN01.0, Dell P/N WJGD4, TN LED, 17.30, 2560x1440
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
AU Optronics B173HAN03.2, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Display
-7%
-5%
-2%
-12%
-3%
Display P3 Coverage
66.1
60.6
-8%
62.9
-5%
63.6
-4%
58.7
-11%
64
-3%
sRGB Coverage
93.1
89
-4%
87.8
-6%
95.4
2%
81
-13%
90.4
-3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
67.2
62.1
-8%
63.9
-5%
65.5
-3%
58.9
-12%
64.8
-4%
Response Times
34%
32%
846%
-10%
-9%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
16.4 ?(8.4, 8)
6.8 ?(3.4, 3.4)
59%
7.2 ?(3.6, 3.6)
56%
7.6 ?(3.8, 3.8)
54%
21.6 ?(12.4, 9.2)
-32%
15.6 ?(8, 7.6)
5%
Response Time Black / White *
10.4 ?(6, 4.4)
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
8%
9.6 ?(4.4, 5.2)
8%
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
8%
9 ?(6.8, 2.2)
13%
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
-23%
PWM Frequency
990 ?(99)
25510 ?(17)
2477%
Screen
4%
17%
26%
-74%
-22%
Brightness middle
298.4
299.3
0%
288
-3%
355
19%
367.9
23%
299.1
0%
Brightness
287
294
2%
287
0%
327
14%
346
21%
273
-5%
Brightness Distribution
90
94
4%
91
1%
85
-6%
84
-7%
81
-10%
Black Level *
0.3
0.29
3%
0.2
33%
0.26
13%
0.55
-83%
0.27
10%
Contrast
995
1032
4%
1440
45%
1365
37%
669
-33%
1108
11%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.58
2.55
29%
2.33
35%
1.54
57%
9.86
-175%
5.07
-42%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.29
4.73
25%
5.34
15%
3
52%
17.56
-179%
10.55
-68%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.82
2.9
-3%
2.47
12%
0.77
73%
4.43
-57%
3.31
-17%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.1
3.5
-13%
1.19
62%
2.19
29%
12.4
-300%
6.8
-119%
Gamma
2.24 98%
2.28 96%
2.41 91%
2.42 91%
2.09 105%
2.46 89%
CCT
7064 92%
7101 92%
6710 97%
6893 94%
11064 59%
7805 83%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60.2
57
-5%
57
-5%
61
1%
52.5
-13%
58.5
-3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
92.7
88.7
-4%
88
-5%
95
2%
80.5
-13%
89.9
-3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
10% / 6%
15% / 15%
290% / 166%
-32% / -54%
-11% / -17%

* ... smaller is better

Color space covers approximately 95 percent of sRGB and 60 percent of AdobeRGB to be comparable to most Ultrabooks and other 144 Hz panels in the market including the competing AU Optronics B173HAN04.0. Users or artists who demand even deeper colors will have to go elsewhere where 4K UHD and full AdobeRGB options are available like on the Sky X7C.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter reveal generally accurate grayscale and colors out of the box with a color temperature that's slightly on the cool side. Our calibration attempt addresses these minor shortcomings for a slightly more accurate display. Eurocom will calibrate the display at factory for an additional cost whereas some OEMs like Gigabyte and MSI will calibrate free of charge on certain models.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
10.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 4.4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
16.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8.4 ms rise
↘ 8 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 25 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 990 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 990 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 990 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is average at best when standing under shade. This system was not designed to be used outdoors frequently and so direct sunlight or overcast will overwhelm onscreen colors and text. Both the lighter Eurocom Q8 and MSI GS75 have brighter displays for a slightly better outdoor experience.

Colors and contrast do not change dramatically if viewing from extreme angles

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

The Nightsky RX17 is one of the few laptops with both Core i7-9750H and unlocked Core i9-9980HK options and GTX 1660 Ti or RTX 2070 graphics. Depending on the configuration, the system can perform similarly to a $1000 gaming laptop or a $2000 gaming laptop. Optimus is included by default which automatically omits any G-Sync options.

Latencymon shows no issues with real-time audio processes.

Processor

CineBench R15
CineBench R15

CineBench R15 ranks our unit as one of the fastest laptops with the Core i7-9750H as its Multi-Thread score is 10 percent higher than the average i7-9750H in our database. The catch, however, is that the Nightsky RX17 is unable to maintain this lead after extended periods of stress. When running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, its score drops from 1306 points to 1133 points (-13 percent) by the third loop and never recovers. Performance sustainability is still better than the Razer Blade Pro 17 equipped with the same CPU.

Raw processor performance is still impressive even though the performance delta between it and the last generation Core i7-8750H can be very narrow. Users would have to upgrade to the Core i9-9980HK SKU for a more tangible 30 percent performance increase.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-9750H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

0651301952603253904555205856507157808459109751040110511701235Tooltip
Eurocom Nightsky RX17 GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0); CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1137 (1123.56-1298.49)
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1076 (1067.18-1187.86)
Alienware m15 P79F GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1123 (1106.07-1188.78)
Medion Erazer X15805 GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1197 (1182.87-1216.55)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
212 Points +22%
Eurocom Sky X7C
Intel Core i7-8086K
207 Points +19%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
203 Points +17%
Eurocom Q8
Intel Core i9-8950HK
202 Points +16%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
Intel Core i7-8565U
191 Points +10%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
189 Points +9%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (170 - 194, n=82)
183.7 Points +6%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-9750H
180 Points +3%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
Intel Core i7-9750H
174 Points
Alienware 17 R4
Intel Core i7-7820HK
171 Points -2%
Alienware m15 P79F
Intel Core i7-8750H
168 Points -3%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
144 Points -17%
CPU Multi 64Bit
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
2022 Points +55%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
1721 Points +32%
Eurocom Sky X7C
Intel Core i7-8086K
1408 Points +8%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
Intel Core i7-9750H
1306 Points
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1217 Points -7%
Alienware m15 P79F
Intel Core i7-8750H
1192 Points -9%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (952 - 1306, n=85)
1182 Points -9%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-9750H
1180 Points -10%
Eurocom Q8
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1099 Points -16%
Alienware 17 R4
Intel Core i7-7820HK
867 Points -34%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
Intel Core i7-8565U
815 Points -38%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
805 Points -38%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Eurocom Sky X7C
Intel Core i7-8086K
2.2 Points
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
2.11 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (1.96 - 2.19, n=10)
2.1 Points
Alienware 17 R4
Intel Core i7-7820HK
1.69 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
1.64 Points
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
Intel Core i7-8565U
0.65 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
18.94 Points
Eurocom Sky X7C
Intel Core i7-8086K
15.41 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (11.3 - 14.1, n=10)
13 Points
Alienware 17 R4
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.53 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
9.21 Points
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
Intel Core i7-8565U
7.4 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
42456 Points
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
36591 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (28251 - 36304, n=13)
33539 Points
Eurocom Sky X7C
Intel Core i7-8086K
33064 Points
Alienware 17 R4
Intel Core i7-7820HK
26081 Points
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
Intel Core i7-8565U
23118 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
20687 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
7735 Points
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
6967 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (6659 - 7214, n=13)
6923 Points
Alienware 17 R4
Intel Core i7-7820HK
6566 Points
Eurocom Sky X7C
Intel Core i7-8086K
6541 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
4770 Points
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
Intel Core i7-8565U
2682 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
197.1 s *
Alienware 17 R4
Intel Core i7-7820HK
179.4 s *
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
 
154.4 s *
Eurocom Sky X7C
Intel Core i7-8086K
119.7 s *
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
118.7 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
174 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1306 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
148.2 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark results are nearly identical to other enthusiast gaming systems like the MSI GS75. Even the older Eurocom Q8 is able to match or outscore our Nightsky RX17. While this doesn't suggest that the Q8 is the faster machine, it does imply that both machines are nearly identical when it comes to day-to-day office-type workloads where the GPU or CPU are not as stressed.

We experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the unit. We appreciate the fact that there is no pre-installed bloatware and that all applications run in Administrator Mode by default.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
Eurocom Q8
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
6331 Points +6%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6053 Points +1%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0)
5982 Points
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5734 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (5013 - 5982, n=5)
5622 Points -6%
MSI GS75 8SG Stealth
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
5605 Points -6%
Essentials
Eurocom Q8
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
9972 Points +2%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0)
9812 Points
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
9607 Points -2%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
9473 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (8912 - 9812, n=5)
9375 Points -4%
MSI GS75 8SG Stealth
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
9233 Points -6%
Productivity
Eurocom Q8
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
8515 Points +13%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (7457 - 7987, n=5)
7633 Points +1%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0)
7554 Points
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7482 Points -1%
MSI GS75 8SG Stealth
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
7462 Points -1%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7397 Points -2%
Digital Content Creation
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
8470 Points +8%
Eurocom Q8
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
8110 Points +3%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0)
7838 Points
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7219 Points -8%
MSI GS75 8SG Stealth
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
6938 Points -11%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (4791 - 7838, n=5)
6801 Points -13%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Eurocom Q8
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
5111 Points +16%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5107 Points +16%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (4402 - 4860, n=3)
4574 Points +4%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4412 Points 0%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0)
4402 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5882 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (5697 - 5764, n=3)
5727 Points 0%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0)
5721 Points
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5672 Points -1%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4402 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5721 points
PCMark 10 Score
5982 points
Help

Storage Devices

Users can configure up to two M.2 SSDs and a 2.5-inch SATA III drive for a total of three drives. Our test unit comes equipped with two 512 GB Samsung SSD 970 Pro drives in RAID 0 for sequential read and write rates approaching 3000 MB/s according to CrystalDiskMark. In comparison, a single Samsung SSD PM981 tops out at about 1800 MB/s in the same benchmark test. Eurocom offers mostly Samsung M.2 SSDs for its Nightsky RX17 since they tend to perform faster than alternatives from Lite-On, Micron, ADATA, or Toshiba.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 5.5
CrystalDiskMark 5.5
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0)
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
MSI GS75 8SG Stealth
2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
Eurocom Q8
Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
AS SSD
-12%
-2%
-11%
-26%
Seq Read
2297
1831
-20%
3005
31%
2481
8%
1153
-50%
Seq Write
2860
1744
-39%
2668
-7%
1869
-35%
1328
-54%
4K Read
52.2
45.16
-13%
40.89
-22%
35.57
-32%
35.05
-33%
4K Write
125.8
107.1
-15%
94.4
-25%
107.9
-14%
96
-24%
4K-64 Read
1412
1240
-12%
1366
-3%
1232
-13%
727
-49%
4K-64 Write
1228
1695
38%
1197
-3%
1285
5%
1212
-1%
Access Time Read *
0.04
0.064
-60%
0.055
-38%
0.043
-8%
0.063
-58%
Access Time Write *
0.09
0.037
59%
0.039
57%
0.035
61%
0.04
56%
Score Read
1694
1468
-13%
1708
1%
1515
-11%
878
-48%
Score Write
1640
1977
21%
1558
-5%
1579
-4%
1441
-12%
Score Total
4235
4197
-1%
4123
-3%
3840
-9%
2784
-34%
Copy ISO MB/s
2514
2086
-17%
1596
-37%
1487
-41%
Copy Program MB/s
592
425.5
-28%
406.7
-31%
608
3%
Copy Game MB/s
1494
555
-63%
958
-36%
1162
-22%

* ... smaller is better

2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0)
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3560 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 3296 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 654 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 571 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 3118 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2935 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 61.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 133 MB/s

GPU Performance

The mobile RTX 2070 is performing where we expect it to be if not slightly faster when compared to other laptops with the same GPU. 3DMark results are about 6 to 7 percent higher than the average RTX 2070 laptop in our database or about 15 percent faster than the RTX 2070 Max-Q. When compared to the last generation mobile Eurocom Q8 with GTX 1070 graphics, users can expect 19 to 41 percent faster performance. Games that run on DX12 tend to benefit more from the Nvidia Turing series as exemplified by the wider gap in 3DMark Time Spy scores.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Port Royal
Port Royal
DLSS 2K
DLSS 2K
Time Spy
Time Spy
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
27228 Points +29%
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
24623 Points +16%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
23032 Points +9%
Alienware 17 R4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
21846 Points +3%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
21138 Points
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700
21104 Points 0%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (18169 - 21138, n=19)
20123 Points -5%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
18443 Points -13%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
17792 Points -16%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
15731 Points -26%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H
13355 Points -37%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9537 Points -55%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8565U
5622 Points -73%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
11099 Points +39%
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
9754 Points +22%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
8844 Points +11%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
8000 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (7006 - 8028, n=18)
7651 Points -4%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
7105 Points -11%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700
6977 Points -13%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
5783 Points -28%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
5689 Points -29%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H
4867 Points -39%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
2805 Points -65%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
5538 Points +28%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
5148 Points +19%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
4323 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (3958 - 4627, n=13)
4294 Points -1%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
3896 Points -10%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
3020 Points -30%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
39651 Points +48%
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
34050 Points +27%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
30910 Points +16%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700
28621 Points +7%
Eurocom Sky X7C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8086K
27275 Points +2%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
26752 Points
Alienware 17 R4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
26438 Points -1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (23335 - 27298, n=21)
25775 Points -4%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
23819 Points -11%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
23414 Points -12%
Eurocom Q8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i9-8950HK
21286 Points -20%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
20157 Points -25%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H
17170 Points -36%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
12193 Points -54%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8565U
7016 Points -74%
1280x720 Performance Combined
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
16523 Points +32%
Eurocom Sky X7C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8086K
14228 Points +14%
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13883 Points +11%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700
12643 Points +1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (8716 - 16364, n=21)
12534 Points 0%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
12512 Points
Eurocom Q8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i9-8950HK
12215 Points -2%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
12170 Points -3%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
11573 Points -8%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
11288 Points -10%
Alienware 17 R4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
10349 Points -17%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9459 Points -24%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
9099 Points -27%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8565U
6774 Points -46%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H
6644 Points -47%
3DMark 11 Performance
21509 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
40478 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
18195 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
7863 points
Help

Gaming Performance

All titles will be playable at the "low" native resolution of 1080p. Instead, the challenge lies in reaching a stable 144 FPS to make the most of the 144 Hz display. The RTX 2070 is up to the task and sufficient for undemanding titles like Fortnite or Overwatch, but more demanding titles like Witcher 3 will require a host of graphical adjustments. Keep in mind that you can still exploit the advantages of a 144 Hz display when running at lower frame rates since the refresh rate is much faster than a 60 Hz panel to reduce screen tearing.

Running Witcher 3 shows no recurring frame dips to suggest no interrupting background activity when gaming.

See our dedicated page on the mobile GeForce RTX 2070 for more technical information and benchmarks.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop)
103.4 (81min - 119max) fps +40%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
100 fps +36%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
87.4 fps +18%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
  (64 - 82.1, n=21)
74.3 fps +1%
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
73.8 fps
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
72 fps -2%
Dell G7 17 7790
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
64.7 fps -12%
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
55.1 fps -25%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
48.8 fps -34%
Eurocom Q8
Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
48.2 fps -35%
Asus TUF FX705DT-AU068T
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
34.2 fps -54%
Asus G752VY-GC110T
Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
33.2 fps -55%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX533FD
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
30 fps -59%
051015202530354045505560657075Tooltip
Eurocom Nightsky RX17 GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0): Ø72 (65-79)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 355 305.3 272.2 172.9
The Witcher 3 (2015) 317.7 245.5 145.1 73.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 218.2 201.7 148.5 122

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise is quiet and essentially inaudible during low loads like browsing or video streaming. The fans are never truly idle, but it's still difficult to notice them over ambient office noise. At worst, the fans can bump up to 33 dB(A) for very short periods before they power back down again. Be sure to set the system to Power Saving or Quiet mode via the Control Center software to avoid pulsing fan behavior. 

When gaming, the Eurocom becomes just as loud as most other gaming laptops if not louder. Thinner alternatives like the Razer Blade Pro 17 and Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX are slightly quieter while fan noise is about the same as the Asus G531GW. According to the Control Center app, both fans will automatically operate at their maximum RPMs when gaming on High Performance mode.

We're unable to notice any coil whine or electronic noise from our test unit.

Eurocom Nightsky RX17
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0)
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
MSI GS75 8SG Stealth
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
Eurocom Q8
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9880H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
Noise
2%
-2%
-5%
-1%
-12%
off / environment *
28
28.2
-1%
29
-4%
30
-7%
28
-0%
29
-4%
Idle Minimum *
28
28.2
-1%
29
-4%
31
-11%
28.2
-1%
30
-7%
Idle Average *
28.4
28.2
1%
32
-13%
32
-13%
31.8
-12%
37
-30%
Idle Maximum *
32.9
30.8
6%
33
-0%
41
-25%
36.3
-10%
39
-19%
Load Average *
45
42
7%
47
-4%
47
-4%
46.7
-4%
54
-20%
Witcher 3 ultra *
53.2
51
4%
49
8%
47
12%
46.9
12%
54
-2%
Load Maximum *
53.2
53
-0%
51
4%
48
10%
49.7
7%
54
-2%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28 / 28.4 / 32.9 dB(A)
Load
45 / 53.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28 dB(A)

Temperature

Four sets of ventilation grilles
Four sets of ventilation grilles

Surface temperatures when idling are generally cool with the hot spots concentrated toward the rear of the system as one would expect. The thermal images below give a pretty accurate outline of the motherboard from the bottom of the chassis. We're able to record a surface temperature of almost 38 C nearest the processors.

When gaming, much of the keyboard can reach 45 C while the palm rests and trackpad barely change. The WASD keys will become warmer but not enough to be distracting when gaming. The rest of the keyboard is not so lucky; you probably don't want to be typing up long essays or spreadsheets when the system is under high processing loads as the NumPad and Enter keys can be as warm as 40 to 45 C. In comparison, the keyboard keys of the Lenovo Legion Y740 or Razer Blade Pro 17 reach only about 36 C to 38 C each when under the same gaming loads.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the system with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, the CPU can be observed operating as high as 4 GHz until reaching a core temperature of 81 C after just a few seconds. Thereafter, clock rates drop to the 2.2 to 2.3 GHz range in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 68 C. It's very likely that the unlocked Core i9-9980HK SKU will run at warmer core temperatures once overclocked since the 60 C range is relatively reserved for a gaming laptop. Stressing both the CPU and GPU simultaneously will cause core temperatures to stabilize at 93 C and 81 C, respectively. The CPU never falls to its base clock rate even when subjected to such extreme loads albeit at the cost of a very warm core temperature.

Running Witcher 3 is more representative of real-world gaming conditions. CPU and GPU temperatures each stabilize at 73 C to be somewhat comparable to the Razer Blade Pro 17 and slightly cooler than the MSI GS75.

Running on batteries will limit performance. A 3DMark Time Spy run on battery power returns Physics and Graphics scores of just 4132 and 1872 points, respectively, compared to 7171 and 8000 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 44 43
Prime95 Stress 3.2 - 3.3 -- 68 --
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.2 - 3.3 1140 93 81
Witcher 3 Stress 4.0 1560 ~73 74
Max. Load
 46 °C
115 F
46.8 °C
116 F
48.6 °C
119 F
 
 37.4 °C
99 F
41.8 °C
107 F
45 °C
113 F
 
 31.2 °C
88 F
29 °C
84 F
30.8 °C
87 F
 
Maximum: 48.6 °C = 119 F
Average: 39.6 °C = 103 F
43.4 °C
110 F
46.8 °C
116 F
42.2 °C
108 F
40.4 °C
105 F
46 °C
115 F
35.6 °C
96 F
29.8 °C
86 F
35.4 °C
96 F
30.4 °C
87 F
Maximum: 46.8 °C = 116 F
Average: 38.9 °C = 102 F
Power Supply (max.)  53 °C = 127 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.6 °C / 103 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 48.6 °C / 119 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 46.8 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 37.1 °C / 99 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 31.2 °C / 88.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-2.3 °C / -4.2 F).

Speakers

The stereo 2 W speakers are loud at almost 89 dB(A) with decent bass reproduction (additional 4 W subwoofer). Higher volume settings will not introduce any static, but the palm rests will vibrate which can be slightly annoying on the hand when gaming or typing while listening to music.

Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2044.249.22543.150.1314552.84042.851.65041.353.76338.255.68038.357.310037.458.112535.660.11603563.220035.665.525034.367.1315337140031.973.250032.275.463031.278.880030.682.3100029.981.1125029.680.3160029.177200028.777250028.672.1315028.469.3400028.171.1500027.970.9630027.772.8800027.472.41000027.572.71250027.373.21600027.370.1SPL41.588.6N4.480.3median 29.6median 72.7Delta2.3435.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseEurocom Nightsky RX17Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Eurocom Nightsky RX17 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 8.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 10% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 6% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop averages somewhere between 18 W and 23 W depending on the brightness setting and power profile. When gaming, consumption jumps to 186 W to be nearly identical to the Blade Pro 17 with RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and Eurocom Q8 with the last generation GTX 1070. When considering that the RTX 2070 offers 19 to 41 percent more performance than the GTX 1070, the gen-to-gen improvements in performance-per-Watt should definitely be noted. 

At most, we're able to record a maximum consumption of 234 W from the medium-sized (~15.3 x 7.3 x 3 cm) 230 W AC adapter. This high of a consumption remains relatively steady when running both Prime95 and FurMark and so the recharge rate will slow to a crawl if both the CPU and GPU are each at 100 percent utilization.

Running Prime95 will spike consumption up to 141 W for a few short seconds before falling and stabilizing at about 93 W as shown by our graph below. This behavior mirrors our stress test and CineBench R15 loop test observations above where clock rates would be fastest only during the beginning of each test.

Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note the spike in consumption before quickly dropping
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note the spike in consumption before quickly dropping
Constant consumption when running Witcher 3
Constant consumption when running Witcher 3
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 20s mark. The 230 W AC adapter is pushed to its limits when under such extreme conditions
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 20s mark. The 230 W AC adapter is pushed to its limits when under such extreme conditions
Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.5 / 1.8 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 18.6 / 22.6 / 23 Watt
Load midlight 93.4 / 233.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
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.
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 2x Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Eurocom Q8
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2, TN LED, 2560x1440, 17.30
Dell G7 17 7790
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GL73 8SE-010US
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
Alienware 17 R4
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, SK Hynix PC300 NVMe 512 GB, TN LED, 2560x1440, 17.30
Power Consumption
3%
-12%
18%
25%
-46%
Idle Minimum *
18.6
16.2
13%
26.3
-41%
9.5
49%
8.8
53%
37.5
-102%
Idle Average *
22.6
20.4
10%
29
-28%
16.2
28%
16.2
28%
37.6
-66%
Idle Maximum *
23
26.1
-13%
32.3
-40%
23.8
-3%
18.3
20%
37.6
-63%
Load Average *
93.4
96.5
-3%
82.4
12%
101.7
-9%
86.1
8%
122.4
-31%
Witcher 3 ultra *
186.4
182.9
2%
192
-3%
155
17%
146.7
21%
180.3
3%
Load Maximum *
233.6
214.3
8%
170.2
27%
172.2
26%
186.4
20%
277.4
-19%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes are poor even after taking into account the small 62 Wh battery. When looping a web page every 40 seconds on Windows Balanced mode, we were only able to record a total runtime of only two hours compared to twice that on the Razer Blade Pro 17 or Zephyrus S GX701. We definitely expected longer not only because the system comes equipped with Optimus, but also because other 17-inch gaming laptops have proven that it's possible to have both decent battery life and a high-end GPU. At most, we're able to record just over 4 hours of runtime when idling on desktop at the lowest brightness setting with everything set to Power Saver.

To the system's credit, its battery is easy to replace. You'll still need a screwdriver, however, which is a step back from the more user-friendly switch and latch mechanism of other Eurocom laptops like the Sky X7C. Recharging from empty to full capacity takes about 2 hours.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
4h 11min
WiFi Websurfing
2h 00min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 9min
Eurocom Nightsky RX17
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 62 Wh
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 70 Wh
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
MSI GS75 8SG Stealth
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 80.25 Wh
Eurocom Q8
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 66 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Battery Runtime
59%
29%
75%
28%
58%
Reader / Idle
251
295
18%
298
19%
464
85%
WiFi v1.3
120
280
133%
230
92%
316
163%
153
28%
190
58%
Load
69
86
25%
52
-25%
54
-22%

Pros

+ above average CPU and GPU performance
+ generally quiet during low loads
+ in-trackpad fingerprint reader
+ decent audio quality
+ per-key RGB lighting
+ removable battery

Cons

- pulse-width modulation on all brightness levels up to 99 percent
- slow recharge rate when on extreme processing loads
- inconsistent gliding properties on glass trackpad
- inconvenient SD reader positioning
- inconvenient to service or upgrade
- loud when gaming
- no 2.5 Gbit RJ-45
- poor battery life

Verdict

In review: Eurocom Nightsky RX17. Test model provided by Eurocom
In review: Eurocom Nightsky RX17. Test model provided by Eurocom

We always cite easy serviceability as the top reason for owning a Clevo-based laptop over more popular options from Asus, Alienware, Acer, or MSI. This is unfortunately not the case for the Eurocom Nightsky RX17. The fact that there are two to three times more screws to remove and that the keyboard must first be disconnected just to upgrade something as simple as RAM or storage is a step in the opposite direction. Clevo designs have always been successful at connecting the user to the core components of a laptop more so than on competitors, but we just don't feel that same bond with the closed nature of the Nightsky RX17. When it becomes faster and easier to add a stick of RAM to a Razer Blade Pro 17 than a larger Clevo barebones, then you know you've done something wrong somewhere along the line.

Aside from the disappointing serviceability, the Nightsky RX17 doesn't do enough to set itself apart from the sea of 17-inch gaming alternatives. Yes, performance is outstanding, but fan noise, battery life, clickpad surface, and chassis rigidity can all be improved. The Asus ROG Strix Hero III G731GW can be found online with the same Core i7-9750H CPU, RTX 2070 GPU, and 144 Hz display as our Eurocom configuration for about $200 to $300 less. If you're insistent on having the best that Clevo has to offer, however, then the Eurocom Sky X4C or X7C will be the better buy than the Nightsky RX17.

The Nightsky RX17 performs slightly faster than a competing laptop with the same Core i7-9750H and GeForce RTX 2070 GPU. Unfortunately, it is likely to be significantly more difficult to service or upgrade as well.

Eurocom Nightsky RX17 - 07/01/2019 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
72 / 98 → 73%
Keyboard
88%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
73 / 81 → 90%
Weight
57 / 10-66 → 84%
Battery
63%
Display
88%
Games Performance
99%
Application Performance
96%
Temperature
86 / 95 → 90%
Noise
77 / 90 → 86%
Audio
70%
Camera
55 / 85 → 65%
Average
77%
87%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Eurocom Nightsky RX17 (Clevo PB71RF) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2019-07- 2 (Update: 2019-07- 8)