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Eurocom Sky X9C (i7-8700K, GTX 1080 SLI, Clevo P870TM1-G) Laptop Review

12 pounds of pure power. We end the year with the most powerful consumer gaming notebook currently available. Its Core i7-8700K CPU, GTX 1080 SLI GPUs, 4K UHD screen, 1 TB NVMe RAID 0 storage, and 64 GB of DDR4 RAM are astronomical specifications regardless of form factor.
Top: 1.1 kg HP EliteBook 1020 G2, Bottom: 5.6 kg Eurocom Sky X9C
Top: 1.1 kg HP EliteBook 1020 G2, Bottom: 5.6 kg Eurocom Sky X9C

Eurocom notebooks have always prioritized serviceability, customization, and extreme performance even if it means higher costs, louder fans, and warmer temperatures. The 17.3-inch Sky X9C continues this trend with no regrets whatsoever as evident by its Coffee Lake Core i7-8700K CPU, GeForce GTX 1080 SLI graphics, 64 GB of DDR4-2666 RAM, and 4K UHD IPS display. Needless to say, it's one of the most powerful and expensive gaming notebooks available besting even the $5000 USD 18.4-inch MSI GT83VR.

Visually, the Clevo P870TM1-G chassis is essentially identical to the Schenker XMG U727 (Clevo P870KM-GS) that we've already published earlier this year and we recommend checking out our existing review here for more information on case quality and its wide array of features. Instead, the main focus of our Sky X9C review page will be on the desktop Core i7-8700K CPU and how it translates to a notebook form factor. Clevo systems have been incorporating traditional LGA CPU sockets over the past few years and it was certainly inevitable for resellers like Eurocom to jump in on Coffee Lake as soon as its processors became available. Is the hexa-core i7-8700K really any better than the quad-core Kaby Lake i7-7700K or Skylake i7-6700K?

Direct competitors in this enthusiast market segment are hard to come by since major manufacturers like MSI, Dell, Gigabyte, and Aorus do not yet offer gaming notebooks with desktop processors. If users can overlook this particular feature, however, then there are a small handful of SLI-powered Pascal alternatives including the MSI GT75VR, GT83VR, Aorus X9, and Asus GX800. Professional users can equip the system with a primary Quadro P5000 GPU, secondary GTX 1080 for PhysX, and up to 22 TB of internal storage to tuen the Sky X9C into  one of the most versatile mobile workstations available.

Users from North America or Europe can begin browsing and configuring the Sky X9C via its official product page here. The Schenker XMG U727 is not completely identical to the Sky X9C, but the similarities are inarguable and so our existing pages below can give more insight on the what the Eurocom version has to offer.

The Sky X9C starts at $2900 USD while our configuration as tested is $7500 USD.

Eurocom Sky X9C (Sky Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8700K 6 x 3.7 - 4.7 GHz, Coffee Lake-S
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop) - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1657 MHz, Memory: 10010 MHz, GDDR5X, 388.31
Memory
64 GB 
, 1333.3 MHz (overclock to 1497.4 MHz), 16-18-18-39, Dual-Channel
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 255 PPI, ID: AUO109B, Name: AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Z370 (Kaby Lake)
Storage
2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0), 2048 GB 
, Secondary: 4 TB Western Digital WD40NMZW-11GX651
Soundcard
NVIDIA GP104 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
5 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 7.1 out, headphone out, microphone in, S/PDIF and Line-in port, Card Reader: SDXC reader
Networking
Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 47.2 x 428 x 308 ( = 1.86 x 16.85 x 12.13 in)
Battery
89 Wh, 5700 mAh Lithium-Ion, 8-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Primary Camera: 2 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: FOSTER Speakers (2W) + Subwoofer (2.5W), Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Control Center, FlexiKey, GPU Overclock, CPU Overclock, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
5.56 kg ( = 196.12 oz / 12.26 pounds), Power Supply: 1.77 kg ( = 62.43 oz / 3.9 pounds)
Price
7500 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Inner plastic bezel does not stick perfectly against the screen
Inner plastic bezel does not stick perfectly against the screen

Chassis design has not changed dramatically from the older Clevo P870DM back in 2015. Both aluminum and ABS plastic still make up the outer lid and bottom base, respectively, with the same LED-lit accent marks on the outer cover and row of LED indicators surrounding the Power button. Rigidity is excellent from top to bottom as pushing down on the palm rests or center of the keyboard results in almost no visible warping. Attempting to twist the base from its sides results in no bending or audible creaking as well. The lid is more susceptible to warping along its corners and outer center as is typical of large 17.3-inch notebooks. In terms of rigidity, the lid feels weaker than on the Alienware 17 but stronger than on the MSI GT72 series and Aorus X7 series.

Construction quality is excellent with only one minor flaw on our test unit. As shown by the picture on the right, the inner bezel does not sit perfectly flat against the edge of the screen and a small gap is visible. It's relatively common on MSI and Clevo notebooks, but it almost never occurs on an Alienware notebook. The gap is thankfully superficial and with no impact to the rigidity of the system.

In terms of size and weight, the Sky X9C is as heavy or slightly heavier than the MSI GT83VR despite the latter being a much larger 18.3-inch notebook. Its footprint is very similar to the Asus G701VI and MSI GT75VR even though these alternatives are less powerful in comparison. There's no denying that the Sky X9C is a very a densely packed system without needing any novelty cooling methods a la the bulky GX800 cooling dock.

Smooth matte surfaces with unobtrusive LED lighting
Smooth matte surfaces with unobtrusive LED lighting
Hardened edges and corners surrounding the rear ventilation
Hardened edges and corners surrounding the rear ventilation
458 mm / 18 inch 339 mm / 13.3 inch 69 mm / 2.72 inch 5.5 kg12.1 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 314 mm / 12.4 inch 58 mm / 2.28 inch 4.6 kg10.1 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 308 mm / 12.1 inch 47.2 mm / 1.858 inch 5.6 kg12.3 lbs429 mm / 16.9 inch 309 mm / 12.2 inch 38 mm / 1.496 inch 4 kg8.8 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch 332 mm / 13.1 inch 29.9 mm / 1.177 inch 4.4 kg9.74 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch 281 mm / 11.1 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 3.1 kg6.9 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Ports have remained identical to the Clevo P870DM. We commend the manufacturer for having at least one USB Type-A port on each side whereas other gaming systems like the Eurocom Tornado F5 have USB TYpe-A ports along one side only. The dual Gigabit Ethernet ports are quite rare on notebooks but should prove useful for the target enthusiast crowd.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: USB 3.0, card reader, 2x USB 3.1 Type-C with Thunderbolt 3, 2x Mini-DisplayPort 1.3, Kensington Lock
Right: USB 3.0, card reader, 2x USB 3.1 Type-C with Thunderbolt 3, 2x Mini-DisplayPort 1.3, Kensington Lock
Rear: HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, AC power
Rear: HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, AC power
Left side: 2x Gigabit RJ-45, 3x USB 3.0, 4x audio
Left side: 2x Gigabit RJ-45, 3x USB 3.0, 4x audio

SD Card Reader

SD reader on right edge
SD reader on right edge

The spring-loaded SDXC card reader returns an average transfer rate of 208 MB/s from our Toshiba Exceria Pro UHS-II card capable of up to 260 MB/s. Moving 1 GB worth of images from card to desktop takes about 5.5 seconds compared to 13 seconds on the MSI GT75VR.

A fully inserted SD card will protrude by about 1 to 2 mm for safe transporting and easy ejecting.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Eurocom Sky X9C
 
191.1 MB/s
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
 
162.5 MB/s -15%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
 
83 MB/s -57%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Eurocom Tornado F5 Killer Edition
 
256.7 MB/s +23%
Eurocom Sky X9C
 
207.9 MB/s
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
 
88 MB/s -58%

Communication

WLAN is provided by a removable M.2 2230 module with RealTek, Killer, and Intel options. The 2x2 Intel 9260 module in our unit is the priciest selection with a real-world average transfer rate of 668 Mbps when standing one meter away from our Linksys EA8500 test router. Raw throughput is not noticeably different from the older Intel 8260 or Killer 1535 and some users may want the Killer module instead due to its more developed software features. The main advantage of the Intel 9260 is its compatibility with the Bluetooth 5 standard whereas WiFi modules integrate Bluetooth 4.1 or 4.2 only.

GPS and 4G LTE options are understandably omitted.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Eurocom Sky X9C
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
594 MBit/s
Alienware 17 R4
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
589 MBit/s -1%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
558 MBit/s -6%
iperf3 receive AX12
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
700 MBit/s +5%
Eurocom Sky X9C
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
668 MBit/s
Alienware 17 R4
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
606 MBit/s -9%

Accessories

Included extras are a User's Manual, USB drive with drivers, and additional screws and thermal pads for the storage bays. A large cleaning cloth would have been appreciated as most Ultrabooks and gaming notebooks throw one in for free. Users will have to supply their own thermal paste and Thunderbolt 3 docking stations.

Maintenance

The bottom panel can be easily removed with a Philips screwdriver to expose the cooling system, battery, subwoofer, and two of the four DDR4 SODIMM slots. The entire cooling plate and keyboard will have to be unscrewed if there is need to access the storage bays or any of the LGA 1151 or 190 W MXM 3.0 slots. As a result, a simple HDD or SSD swap can be more of a hassle than on most other gaming notebooks. Perhaps unsurprisingly, more than half of the area is dedicated to cooling both GPUs efficiently.

The online version of the User's Manual can be found here.

A simple HDD or SSD upgrade is a bit too cumbersome
A simple HDD or SSD upgrade is a bit too cumbersome
The other SODIMM slots are on the other side of the notebook underneath the keyboard
The other SODIMM slots are on the other side of the notebook underneath the keyboard
(Source: Eurocom)
(Source: Eurocom)

Warranty

The standard one-year limited warranty applies with options to extend up to three years. Competing manufacturers like Aorus and EVGA tend to offer two-year warranty as standard while larger makers like Lenovo and Dell have much wider protection and coverage options. Considering the high base price of the Sky X9C, we would've preferred a similar two-year base warranty as standard as well.

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard and Touchpad

No changes have been made to the beveled keyboard (35 x 11 cm) or trackpad (~10.8 x 6.2 cm). We hope that future revisions will incorporate individually-lit RGB keys and expand on the total width of the keyboard for a less cramped typing experience.

Three-zone RGB lighting only. No individually backlit keys for the series just yet
Three-zone RGB lighting only. No individually backlit keys for the series just yet
Keystroke is reasonably firm and relatively quiet when pressed
Keystroke is reasonably firm and relatively quiet when pressed

Display

The Sky X9C can be configured with IPS FHD 60 Hz, IPS FHD 120 Hz, TN QHD 120 Hz, or IPS 4K UHD 60 Hz matte options. Our unit today is equipped with the 4K UHD option utilizing the same AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 panel as on the Schenker XMG U727. Consequently, both displays exhibit very similar characteristics as confirmed by our measurements below. Brightness, contrast, colors, and response times are all where we expect them to be for a high-end gaming machine. Note that the TN panels on the MSI GT75VR and Alienware 17 R4 have faster response times and thus fewer ghosting issues at the cost of narrower viewing angles, more limited colors, and lower native resolutions. Higher resolutions aren't always better depending on the demands of the user.

There is a slight graininess to the display that becomes more apparent when on higher brightness levels with white backgrounds. This phenomenon is common amongst matte panels whereas most glossy displays appear sharper and cleaner in comparison. Our particular test unit also exhibits moderate uneven backlight bleeding that we find to be noticeable during video payback or gameplay with darkened scenes. While not distracting, it's still disappointing considering the enthusiast category of the system.

Moderate backlight bleeding around the bottom edges and corners
Moderate backlight bleeding around the bottom edges and corners
RGB subpixel array (255 PPI). Note the graininess of the panel overlying the pixels
RGB subpixel array (255 PPI). Note the graininess of the panel overlying the pixels
317.1
cd/m²
347
cd/m²
316.3
cd/m²
331.2
cd/m²
347.7
cd/m²
319.8
cd/m²
315.2
cd/m²
317.3
cd/m²
303.2
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
ID: AUO109B, Name: AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 tested with X-Rite i1Basic Pro 2
Maximum: 347.7 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 323.9 cd/m² Minimum: 17.45 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 347.7 cd/m²
Contrast: 869:1 (Black: 0.4 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.39 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
87.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
99.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
86.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.4
Eurocom Sky X9C
ID: AUO109B, Name: AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0, IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160
Alienware 17 R4
TN LED, 17.30, 2560x1440
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
CMN N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), TN LED, 17.30, 1920x1080
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
B173HAN01.1 (AUO119D), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Razer Blade Pro 2017
Sharp LQ173D1JW33 (SHP145A), IGZO, 17.30, 3840x2160
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 (AUO109B), AHVA, 17.30, 3840x2160
Display
-28%
-3%
-23%
1%
0%
Display P3 Coverage
86.6
61.2
-29%
90.3
4%
68.8
-21%
88.9
3%
86.6
0%
sRGB Coverage
100
82.9
-17%
99.6
0%
87.7
-12%
100
0%
99.9
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
99.4
60.5
-39%
86.8
-13%
64.1
-36%
99.7
0%
99.5
0%
Response Times
44%
75%
22%
-36%
1%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
43.6 ?(24, 19.6)
30 ?(18.8, 11.2)
31%
11.6 ?(6.4, 5.2)
73%
38 ?(13, 25)
13%
60.8 ?(28.8, 32)
-39%
44 ?(14, 30)
-1%
Response Time Black / White *
28.8 ?(17.2, 11.6)
12.8 ?(10.8, 2)
56%
6.8 ?(4.8, 2)
76%
20 ?(4, 16)
31%
38.4 ?(22, 16.4)
-33%
28 ?(6, 22)
3%
PWM Frequency
25000 ?(15)
204.9 ?(20)
Screen
-8%
23%
9%
3%
20%
Brightness middle
347.7
402.3
16%
274
-21%
306
-12%
230
-34%
362
4%
Brightness
324
372
15%
262
-19%
299
-8%
207
-36%
344
6%
Brightness Distribution
87
86
-1%
87
0%
91
5%
83
-5%
85
-2%
Black Level *
0.4
0.62
-55%
0.26
35%
0.27
32%
0.2
50%
0.35
12%
Contrast
869
649
-25%
1054
21%
1133
30%
1150
32%
1034
19%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.39
5.6
12%
1.36
79%
3.98
38%
5.62
12%
2.46
62%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
9.69
9.8
-1%
4.1
58%
7.29
25%
10.24
-6%
4.26
56%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.4
4.7
13%
0.64
88%
4.15
23%
4.54
16%
2.9
46%
Gamma
2.4 92%
2.14 103%
2.19 100%
2.45 90%
2.36 93%
2.31 95%
CCT
6271 104%
7519 86%
6551 99%
7386 88%
6625 98%
6120 106%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
87.8
53.7
-39%
77
-12%
58
-34%
88
0%
88
0%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
82.2
-18%
100
0%
89
-11%
100
0%
100
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
3% / -5%
32% / 25%
3% / 4%
-11% / -3%
7% / 14%

* ... smaller is better

Color space covers the full sRGB spectrum and 88 percent of the AdobeRGB standard. Results are again very similar to the Schenker XMG U727 since both share the same AU Optronics panel. The Sharp IGZO panel on the Razer Blade Pro offers similar colors as well but with slower response times. Graphic artists can exploit the deeper and more accurate colors of the panel assuming a proper calibration.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. Razer Blade Pro 4K UHD
vs. Razer Blade Pro 4K UHD

Further measurements with a X-Rite spectrophotometer reveal average grayscale and colors and a slightly warm color temperature. Our calibration efforts improve grayscale and RGB balance by wide margins, but colors remain relatively inaccurate at higher saturation levels. The AU Optronics panel is capable of reproducing the full sRGB spectrum and so further calibration is likely required for refinement. Eurocom offers professional calibration for each notebook at an additional cost. Green, Violet, Teal, and Red in particular appear to be more inaccurate than Blue or Yellow in our saturation tests.

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
28.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17.2 ms rise
↘ 11.6 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
43.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24 ms rise
↘ 19.6 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. » 69 % 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)

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 not detected

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 as the backlight will have to be much more powerful to overcome any glare or direct sunlight. It's not too bad under shade and both the wide viewing angles and matte panel help to improve visibility. Still, users will be fighting against the enormous weight and short battery life more so than the display itself.

Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors on overcast day
Wide IPS viewing angles with no major contrast or color degradation
Wide IPS viewing angles with no major contrast or color degradation

Performance

Eurocom configures its Sky X9C with the unlocked Core i7-8600K, i7-8700, and unlocked i7-8700K. Since the Z370 chipset is not backwards compatible with Kaby Lake processors to the chagrin of most enthusiasts, owners will be stuck with the currently small selection of Intel 8th gen core CPUs. This limitation shouldn't be a nuisance for the target audience, however, as Coffee Lake is one of the biggest draws of the Sky X9C. Proper Coffee Lake mobile chips to supplant the current HQ series have not yet been officially announced as of this writing. 

Meanwhile, GPU options range from a single GTX 1060 up to the dual GTX 1080 we have on hand. The combined 380 W TDP of the two GTX 1080 GPUs alone is already about 10x more demanding than a standard Ultrabook with integrated graphics. No Radeon options are available and we don't expect this to change in the near future judging by the performance of the desktop Vega GPUs.

Processor

Raw processor benefits from the i7-8700K mirror that of the recent i7-8550U. In other words, users can expect a 50 percent faster boost in multi-thread performance over the i7-7700K similar to how the quad-core i7-8550U provides a rough 50 percent boost over the dual-core i7-7500U. The 8th gen Core family as a whole offers the largest generational leap in CPU power that the series has seen in years and the i7-8700K is no exception.

As powerful as the 95 W i7-8700K may be, the less demanding 65 W octa-core Ryzen 7 1700 in the recent Asus GL702ZC is still faster by 6 percent in multi-threaded workloads according to CineBench R15. AMD is able to achieve this through more simultaneous threads than the Intel i7-8700K (16 vs. 12) in order to make up for the slower clock rates of each core (3.2 GHz vs. 3.7+ GHz). Of course, applications must be specifically optimized in the first place to exploit the various numbers of cores properly.

Single-threaded operations remain virtually identical to the Kaby Lake i7-7700K. While still ahead of the Ryzen 7 1700 by a notable 32 percent, Intel fans hoping for a significant single-thread boost over the i7-7700K will be disappointed. Indeed, the maximum Turbo Boost clock rate is only 200 MHz faster on the i7-8700K and that is only if the supporting hardware can maintain such speeds.

Running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop results in very steady scores from beginning to end. Turbo Boost potential is small but consistent which is impressive considering that this is a desktop CPU in a notebook chassis.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-8700K and full review on the processor for more technical information and benchmark comparisons. Our reference desktop Core i7-8700K outscores our Eurocom Core i7-8700K by only a few percentage points.

CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
010203040506070809010011012013014015016017018019020021022023024025026027028029030031032033034035036037038039040041042043044045046047048049050051052053054055056057058059060061062063064065066067068069070071072073074075076077078079080081082083084085086087088089090091092093094095096097098099010001010102010301040105010601070108010901100111011201130114011501160117011801190120012101220123012401250126012701280129013001310132013301340135013601370Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
no name
Intel Core i7-8700K
199 Points +5%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
190 Points 0%
Eurocom Sky X9C
Intel Core i7-8700K
190 Points
Aorus X9
Intel Core i7-7820HK
174 Points -8%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
160 Points -16%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
160 Points -16%
HP Spectre x360 15t-bl100
Intel Core i7-8550U
154 Points -19%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
149 Points -22%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
144 Points -24%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
143 Points -25%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
1408 Points +3%
no name
Intel Core i7-8700K
1405 (1375.04min - 1405.28max) Points +3%
Eurocom Sky X9C
Intel Core i7-8700K
1362 Points
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
897 Points -34%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
874 Points -36%
Aorus X9
Intel Core i7-7820HK
837 Points -39%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
733 Points -46%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
724 Points -47%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
678 Points -50%
HP Spectre x360 15t-bl100
Intel Core i7-8550U
519 Points -62%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
no name
Intel Core i7-8700K
2.27 Points +2%
Eurocom Sky X9C
Intel Core i7-8700K
2.23 Points
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
2.19 Points -2%
Aorus X9
Intel Core i7-7820HK
1.97 Points -12%
HP Spectre x360 15t-bl100
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.77 Points -21%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
1.72 Points -23%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.68 Points -25%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
1.67 Points -25%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.66 Points -26%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
1.63 Points -27%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
15.76 Points +5%
no name
Intel Core i7-8700K
15.64 Points +4%
Eurocom Sky X9C
Intel Core i7-8700K
15.02 Points
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
9.78 Points -35%
Aorus X9
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.19 Points -39%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
8.55 Points -43%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
7.94 Points -47%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.49 Points -50%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7.14 Points -52%
HP Spectre x360 15t-bl100
Intel Core i7-8550U
5.76 Points -62%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
no name
Intel Core i7-8700K
39624 Points +1%
Eurocom Sky X9C
Intel Core i7-8700K
39382 Points
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
29330 Points -26%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
28189 Points -28%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
23815 Points -40%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
21755 Points -45%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
20943 Points -47%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
20639 Points -48%
HP Spectre x360 15t-bl100
Intel Core i7-8550U
16329 Points -59%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Eurocom Sky X9C
Intel Core i7-8700K
7423 Points
no name
Intel Core i7-8700K
7413 Points 0%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
7222 Points -3%
HP Spectre x360 15t-bl100
Intel Core i7-8550U
6501 Points -12%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
6434 Points -13%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
5550 Points -25%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
5550 Points -25%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5521 Points -26%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
4286 Points -42%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
HP Spectre x360 15t-bl100
Intel Core i7-8550U
402.6 s * -245%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
212.1 s * -82%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
205.9 s * -77%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
176.3 s * -51%
no name
Intel Core i7-8700K
118.6 s * -2%
Eurocom Sky X9C
Intel Core i7-8700K
116.6 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
15780
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
39382
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
7423
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
90.8 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
15.02 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
2.23 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98.8 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
140.8 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1362 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
190 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark 10 results are currently the highest in our database beating the MSI GT83VR by about 20 percent in each category. PCMark 8 results are more mixed likely due to the 4K UHD panel of the Eurocom compared to the FHD panel of the MSI.

Subjectively, our Eurocom system was free of any hardware or software issues during the testing duration. Pre-installed applications are kept to a minimum with Flexikey, Control Center, and CPU/GPU/RAM overclocking features all readily available. Certain key drivers for various features (SD reader, etc.) have been omitted and so users will need to install them manually.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 10 Home Standard
PCMark 10 Home Standard
PCMark 10
Score
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
6495 Points
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
5489 Points -15%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
4752 Points -27%
Essentials
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
9775 Points
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
8396 Points -14%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
7724 Points -21%
Productivity
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
8657 Points
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
7460 Points -14%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
6481 Points -25%
Digital Content Creation
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
8786 Points
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
7166 Points -18%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
5819 Points -34%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
5476 Points +9%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
5159 Points +3%
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
5005 Points
Eurocom Sky X7E2
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
4579 Points -9%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
4207 Points -16%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
6515 Points +28%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
5487 Points +8%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
5159 Points +1%
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
5095 Points
Eurocom Sky X7E2
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
4816 Points -5%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
9529 Points
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
8593 Points -10%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
8576 Points -10%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
5364 Points -44%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
5005 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
9529 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5095 points
PCMark 10 Score
6495 points
Help

Storage Devices

A total of five internal storage bays are available via 3x M.2 2280 PCIe x4 slots and 2x 2.5-inch SATA III bays all capable of RAID configurations. The Z370 chipset supports Optane drives as well to accelerate HDDs. As mentioned earlier, direct access to these drives can be tedious since they are positioned under layers of screws and other critical components. Our particular test model is equipped with two 1 TB Samsung 960 Pro SSDs in RAID 0 configuration.

Transfer rates from our 2x Samsung 960 Pro are very similar to the 2x Samsung SM961 in our MSI GT83VR comparison unit. Its sequential write speed of over 3000 MB/s is almost 50 percent faster than the maximum theoretical (2100 MB/s) for a single Samsung 960 Pro SSD. Sequential read speeds, however, are still limited by the 3500 MB/s maximum of a single Samsung 960 Pro. Two Samsung 960 Pro SSDs in RAID 0 do not provide as great of a benefit as one would expect and it's arguably more cost efficient to run both in SPAN for double the capacity.

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

CDM 5
CDM 5
AS SSD
AS SSD
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
Eurocom Sky X9C
2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
HP Spectre x360 15t-bl100
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
1%
-46%
-67%
-22%
Write 4K
152
165
9%
155.1
2%
96.1
-37%
174.1
15%
Read 4K
54.7
55.9
2%
44.22
-19%
38.91
-29%
48.07
-12%
Write Seq
2702
2612
-3%
311.2
-88%
467.9
-83%
1444
-47%
Read Seq
3261
3377
4%
1247
-62%
494.2
-85%
1008
-69%
Write 4K Q32T1
528
548
4%
310.3
-41%
188.9
-64%
512
-3%
Read 4K Q32T1
630
625
-1%
551
-13%
205.9
-67%
632
0%
Write Seq Q32T1
3074
2944
-4%
311.5
-90%
461.2
-85%
1522
-50%
Read Seq Q32T1
3425
3407
-1%
1560
-54%
450.8
-87%
3111
-9%
2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3425 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 3074 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 630 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 528 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 3261 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2702 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 54.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 152 MB/s

GPU Performance

Nvidia SLI has always scaled well when running synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark. Fire Strike results are 90 to 100 percent greater than a single mobile GTX 1080 or desktop GTX 1080 and 40 percent greater than a single GTX 1080 Ti. Graphics Scores are essentially the same as our GT83VR with a similar GTX 1080 SLI setup, but combined scores are notably higher for the Sky X9C due to its faster i7-8700K processor over the i7-7920HQ. Our reference desktop with the i7-4790K and GTX 1080 Ti is behind by about 12 percent against a notebook less than a quarter of its size.

See our dedicated page on the GeForce GTX 1080 SLI for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Sky Diver
Sky Diver
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
40636 Points 0%
Eurocom Sky X9C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K
40582 Points
Desktop PC Ryzen 7 1800X + Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Desktop), R7 1800X
34226 Points -16%
Aorus X9
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), i7-7820HK
32640 Points -20%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop), 4790K
28366 Points -30%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
21366 Points -47%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 4790K
20268 Points -50%
MSI GT80-2QES32SR311BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M SLI, 4980HQ
19121 Points -53%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
18219 Points -55%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11049 Points -73%
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Graphics
Eurocom Sky X9C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K
9770 Points
Desktop PC Ryzen 7 1800X + Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Desktop), R7 1800X
8894 Points -9%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop), 4790K
6722 Points -31%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 4790K
4841 Points -50%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
4048 Points -59%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
2522 Points -74%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Combined
Eurocom Sky X9C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K
9374 Points
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop), 4790K
8279 Points -12%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 4790K
7871 Points -16%
Aorus X9
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), i7-7820HK
7321 Points -22%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
7176 Points -23%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
6946 Points -26%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
6651 Points -29%
Desktop PC Ryzen 7 1800X + Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Desktop), R7 1800X
5639 Points -40%
MSI GT80-2QES32SR311BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M SLI, 4980HQ
5090 Points -46%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
4260 Points -55%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
50923 Points +9%
Eurocom Sky X9C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K
46773 Points
Desktop PC Ryzen 7 1800X + Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Desktop), R7 1800X
42691 Points -9%
Aorus X9
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), i7-7820HK
41469 Points -11%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop), 4790K
38959 Points -17%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 4790K
29443 Points -37%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
29109 Points -38%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
23540 Points -50%
MSI GT80-2QES32SR311BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M SLI, 4980HQ
21901 Points -53%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
13668 Points -71%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Eurocom Sky X9C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K
14119 Points
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 4790K
11623 Points -18%
Desktop PC Ryzen 7 1800X + Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Desktop), R7 1800X
11599 Points -18%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop), 4790K
11584 Points -18%
MSI GT80-2QES32SR311BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M SLI, 4980HQ
10313 Points -27%
Aorus X9
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), i7-7820HK
9929 Points -30%
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
9878 Points -30%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
9755 Points -31%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
8935 Points -37%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8830 Points -37%
3DMark 11 Performance
30042 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
192638 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
45068 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
26751 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
17060 points
Help

Gaming Performance

As impressive as its raw graphical output may be, SLI support is splintering in the wake of DX12 games. Newer DX12 titles like Middle-earth: Shadow of War show very marginal performance benefits from running a GTX 1080 SLI setup versus a single GTX 1080 Ti while results are actually worse for some games such as Ashes of the Singularity. Destiny 2 shows a promising 38 percent boost over the GTX 1070 SLI, but this is more of an exception than the rule. G-Sync is highly recommended when gaming in 4K UHD since many newer titles still hover in the 50 to 60 FPS range where adaptive sync is effective.

Rise of the Tomb Raider - 3840x2160 High Preset AA:FX AF:4x
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
87.4 fps
Asus GX800VH Prototype
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), 6820HK
78.4 fps -10%
Desktop PC Ryzen 7 1800X + Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Desktop), R7 1800X
74 (66min - 88max) fps -15%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
70.9 (63min - 78max) fps -19%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
68.4 (61min - 75max) fps -22%
MSI Gaming X GeForce GTX 1080 Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
53 fps -39%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1070 Ti (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
46.5 (41min - 52max) fps -47%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
43.6 fps -50%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R7 1700, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
22.9 (20min) fps -74%
Destiny 2 - 3840x2160 Highest Preset AA:SM AF:16x
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
80.3 fps
Desktop PC Ryzen 7 1800X + Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Desktop), R7 1800X
58.1 fps -28%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
51.5 (22.8P1) fps -36%
Middle-earth: Shadow of War - 3840x2160 Ultra Preset AA:T
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
55 fps
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
51 (22min - 171max) fps -7%
Desktop PC Ryzen 7 1800X + Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 SLI
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Desktop), R7 1800X
45 (3min - 99max) fps -18%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1070 Ti (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
34 (21min - 50max) fps -38%
Ashes of the Singularity - 3840x2160 crazy
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
58.4 fps +25%
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
46.7 fps
Mafia 3 - 3840x2160 High Preset
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
36.7 (34min - 40max) fps +10%
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
33.4 fps
MSI Gaming X GeForce GTX 1080 Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
27.8 (24min - 32max) fps -17%
low med. high ultra4K
Guild Wars 2 (2012) 150.3 84.3 77.8
BioShock Infinite (2013) 398.4 347.3 295.5 265.6
Metro: Last Light (2013) 196 194.8 192.8 172.1
Thief (2014) 150.1 147.5 144.5 141.9
The Witcher 3 (2015) 357 229.8 184.3 106.4 87.1
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 202 186 150 99 57
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 60 60 60 60 60
Fallout 4 (2015) 212.9 219.5 174.5 167.6 100
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 122.8 110.6 99.8 103.5 87.4
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 109.8 105.9 100.6 46.7
Overwatch (2016) 300 300 300 300 216.3
Mafia 3 (2016) 134.4 115 79.9 33.4
Prey (2017) 144 144 144 143 84
Dirt 4 (2017) 360.8 245.7 122.5 82.6 54.9
F1 2017 (2017) 237 178 152 109 56
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 98 123 106 92 55
Destiny 2 (2017) 148.4 121.9 116.2 113.1 80.3

Stress Test

We stress the notebook with synthetic benchmarks to identify for any potential throttling or hardware issues. When running Prime95, the i7-8700K can be observed operating at a stable 4.0 GHz for all six cores or 300 MHz above its base 3.7 GHz clock rate. Turbo Boost clock rates above 4.0 GHz are thus very short-lived when executing multi-threaded tasks. Core temperature flatlines at 87 C to be slightly cooler than the i7-6700K (91 C) and i7-7820HK (94 C) in the Eurocom X7E2 and Aorus X9, respectively, when subjected to similar loads. Maximum stress with Prime95 and FurMark will strip the CPU of any Turbo Boost in order to maintain a more respectable temperature of 80 C while both GPUs operate in the upper-end of the 80 C range. In comparison, the GTX 1070 SLI in the Aorus X9 settles at 72 C while the GTX 1080 SLI in the GT83VR is even warmer in the lower 90 C range. Overclocking potential is unsurprisingly limited because of the already high temperatures when under extreme loads.

Running Witcher 3 is more representative of real-world stress. When under these conditions, the CPU drops to as low as 53 C whereas both GPU cores remain steady at 84 C. Frame rates fluctuate more wildly over time as shown by our graph below as is expected from any SLI system.

Running on battery power will limit both CPU and GPU performances. A Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 9512 and 6265 points, respectively, compared to 18221 and 40582 points when on mains. The CPU in particular can be observed operating at just 2 GHz when on batteries and the frame rate limiter is automatically engaged.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
0123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960Tooltip
The Witcher 3 4K
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 4.0 -- 87 55
FurMark Stress -- ~1607 65 86 - 90
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.7 ~1557 80 86 - 90
Witcher 3 Stress 4.6 ~1772 53 84

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution consists of three identical ~60 mm fans and 8 heat pipes between the CPU and two GPUs. Thinner and lighter gaming notebooks like the MSI GS73VR or Aorus x7 tend to utilize as few as 2 to 4 heat pipes and smaller fans in comparison. The arrangement of the heat pipes is slightly different from the last Clevo P870KM-GS we had checked out earlier in the year.

Measuring fan noise is a bit more complicated on the Sky X9C since its high capacity AC adapter is actively cooled by twin ~35 mm fans. The noise from the adapter alone is already quite loud at 36.3 dB(A) when situated 15 cm in front of the microphone against a background of 28.4 dB(A). While the adapter fans lead to cooler surface temperatures as shown in our next section, its loud operating noise is the price to pay. The fans automatically shutdown when the notebook is off or in Sleep mode.

We are able to measure a system fan noise of 34.2 dB(A) when the notebook is set to the Power Saver profile and with Quiet mode active. This minimum is not unlike both the Alienware 17 R4 and Aorus X9 when under similar conditions. The fans remain relatively stable under these conditions and do not pulsate during video playback or word processing loads.

When the High Performance profile is active, the notebook can be as loud as 39 dB(A) simply from idling on desktop. In comparison, ultrabooks like the Samsung Notebook 9 top out at 38 dB(A) when subjected to extreme loads to be quieter than an idling Sky X9C. Pulsing becomes more frequent as fan noise can jump from 39 dB(A) to 44.6 dB(A) when launching applications. Thankfully, the fans remain constant at 54 dB(A) when running Witcher 3 to be very close to other enthusiast gaming notebooks like the GT83VR, Aorus X9, or Razer Blade Pro under similar conditions. On one hand, this can be viewed as an impressive feat since the Sky X9C is significantly more powerful than both the Aorus X9 and Blade Pro without necessarily running louder, but there's still no denying that these are all very loud notebooks. Headphones are essentially required to drown out the noise when gaming.

The sound frequency of the fans is lower-pitched compared to the Razer Blade Pro or GS73VR since the Sky X9C can afford comparatively thicker and larger fans with fewer fins. Microphone measurements show a frequency peak of about 900 Hz on our Eurocom compared to ~3.5 kHz on the GS73VR to be less conspicuous given the same decibel reading.

Coil whine or electronic noise was audible on both our review notebook and AC adapter during the first few hours of testing. After running more benchmarks to "break in" our system, however, the electronic noise ceased. Nonetheless, it's possible that it may pop up again during the lifespan of the notebook.

Large copper heat sinks along the rear of the notebook
Large copper heat sinks along the rear of the notebook
Thick fans ensure lower sound frequencies compared to super-thin gaming notebooks
Thick fans ensure lower sound frequencies compared to super-thin gaming notebooks
Sky X9C (White: Background, Red: System idle + AC adapter, Red, Blue: 3DMark06, Orange: Witcher 3, Green: Prime95+FurMark)
Sky X9C (White: Background, Red: System idle + AC adapter, Red, Blue: 3DMark06, Orange: Witcher 3, Green: Prime95+FurMark)
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Eurocom Sky X7E2
MSI GS73VR 7RG
MSI GS73VR 7RG

Noise Level

Idle
34.2 / 39.6 / 39.6 dB(A)
Load
48.5 / 56.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.4 dB(A)
Eurocom Sky X9C
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-8700K, 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0)
Alienware 17 R4
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, SK Hynix PC300 NVMe 512 GB
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
Eurocom Sky X7E2
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
Aorus X9
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), i7-7820HK, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
Razer Blade Pro 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0)
Noise
4%
-3%
8%
-3%
7%
off / environment *
28.4
28.2
1%
31
-9%
28.9
-2%
30
-6%
30
-6%
Idle Minimum *
34.2
35.6
-4%
35
-2%
28.9
15%
35
-2%
30
12%
Idle Average *
39.6
35.6
10%
38
4%
30.6
23%
37
7%
31
22%
Idle Maximum *
39.6
35.7
10%
41
-4%
35.7
10%
43
-9%
33
17%
Load Average *
48.5
50.2
-4%
52
-7%
49
-1%
49
-1%
43
11%
Witcher 3 ultra *
54
50.2
7%
53
2%
56
-4%
55
-2%
Load Maximum *
56.5
50.2
11%
59
-4%
55
3%
60
-6%
58
-3%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Be sure to not impede airflow through the rear of the unit
Be sure to not impede airflow through the rear of the unit

Surface temperatures when idling are cool around the palm rests before becoming steadily warmer towards the center quadrants. The range can be as wide as 22.8 C on the palm rests to 37 C on the bottom rear of the notebook simply from standing idle. More extreme loads like gaming will see temperatures as high as 45 C or 48 C near the rear ventilation. Thankfully, the keyboard keys and palm rests remain relatively cool for comfortable operation no matter the onscreen workload. The Aorus X9 runs much warmer across both its front and back with temperatures as high as the 55 to 60 C range.

The redesigned AC adapter runs cooler than we had anticipated at just 25 C when under load. In comparison, the AC adapters of most gaming notebooks can be 40 C or warmer under load with the Razer Blade Pro adapter in particular reaching as high as 69 C.

It's worth noting that surface temperature readings on our Sky X9C are significantly cooler than on our Schenker XMG U727 with the same GTX 1080 SLI setup despite running the same Witcher 3 load for over an hour. It's possible that differences in environmental temperature may be the cause for the discrepancy.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Max. Load
 27.8 °C
82 F
44.6 °C
112 F
36.8 °C
98 F
 
 25.2 °C
77 F
32 °C
90 F
27.4 °C
81 F
 
 22.6 °C
73 F
32 °C
90 F
27.4 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 44.6 °C = 112 F
Average: 30.6 °C = 87 F
39 °C
102 F
48 °C
118 F
34.2 °C
94 F
40.2 °C
104 F
44.4 °C
112 F
26.8 °C
80 F
33.6 °C
92 F
29.6 °C
85 F
21.8 °C
71 F
Maximum: 48 °C = 118 F
Average: 35.3 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  24.4 °C = 76 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.6 °C / 87 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 44.6 °C / 112 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 48 °C / 118 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.9 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.6 °C / 87 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 38.4 °C / 101.1 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-9.5 °C / -17.1 F).

Speakers

Sound quality from the 2 W stereo speakers and 2.5 W subwoofer is excellent and louder than on the Sky X7E2. Its pink graph is broader than on the MSI GS73VR to indicate a wider range of frequencies and stronger bass reproduction for a more balanced audio experience. The palm rests and keyboard surface will reverberate slightly even when at the 50 percent volume mark. There are otherwise no heavy imbalances between treble and bass no matter the volume setting.

External 7.1, SPDIF, and Line-in options are supported. There is no dedicated ESS Sabre DAC for higher-end headphones unlike on the Eurocom Sky X7E2 or the MSI GS63/73VR series.

Eurocom Sky X9C
Eurocom Sky X9C
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Eurocom Sky X7E2
MSI GS73VR 7RG
MSI GS73VR 7RG
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.135.22533.333.93131.633.24030.732.45030.630.96328.729.98028.332.810027.64412526.452.716027.756.72002854.425029.856.231530.258.94002864.350031.468.363031.768.580026.168.9100026.269.1125024.865.5160025.264.5200028.164.1250027.363.231502561400021.365500020.962.7630020.558800020.651.31000020.744.21250020.739.21600020.533.6SPL38.276.7N339.4median 26.2median 61Delta3.76.735.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseEurocom Sky X9CApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Eurocom Sky X9C audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 7.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.6% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | reduced highs - on average 5.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 10% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 70% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 24% 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%

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox selectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The most powerful notebook available demands the most powerful AC adapter to go along with it. Introduced earlier this year, our Sky X9C configuration appropriately ships with a 780 W (!) AC adapter weighing about 1.8 kg or as much as a 14-inch Lenovo Yoga 520. The adapter includes a power switch on the back not unlike most PSUs for desktops and a real-time readout for current (I), Voltage (V), and Power (W). Unfortunately, there are no built-in USB ports like on the AC adapter for the Aorus X5 or any data recording features.

Idling on desktop will draw anywhere from 54 W to 57 W depending on the brightness setting while medium load with 3DMark06 will draw about 184 W. Running Witcher 3 will demand 455 W compared to 380 W on the MSI GT83VR with the same GTX 1080 SLI graphics or 180 W on the Alienware 17 R4 with a single GTX 1080 GPU. A significant differentiating factor between our Sky X9C and the GT83VR is the 95 W i7-8700K desktop CPU compared to the 45 W i7-7920HQ CPU in the MSI designed specifically for laptops.

Maximum load with Prime95 and FurMark running simultaneously yields unexpected results. Power consumption is not steady over time as shown by our graphs below where readings would constantly fluctuate from values as low as 304 W to as high as 549 W. In comparison, consumption readings would become much more steady when running Prime95, FurMark, or Witcher 3 separately. This suggests that there may be some power management issues between the CPU and GPU when both are stressed to their respective extremes simultaneously. In fact, average consumption is significantly higher when running Witcher 3 compared to running both Prime95 and FurMark together while the opposite is true for nearly all other gaming notebooks.

Furthermore, the real-time readings from the AC adapter do not appear to be very accurate and they would often underestimate actual results. When running Witcher 3, for example, our independent readings with Metrahit are steady at about 458 W while the adapter would occasionally record 326 W with jumps to the 400+ W range. We're unsure what is going on here, but we suggest that users double-check with their own independent instruments if accurate power consumption is of concern.

High capacity 780 W (20 V, 39 A) AC adapter measures 24 x 11 x 4 cm
High capacity 780 W (20 V, 39 A) AC adapter measures 24 x 11 x 4 cm
Twin internal fans
Twin internal fans
4-pin connector cable is thick and unwieldy. Its connection to the notebook feels loose and can easily detach
4-pin connector cable is thick and unwieldy. Its connection to the notebook feels loose and can easily detach
The real-time power data is a nice addition, but its Watt readings seem to underestimate actual demand
The real-time power data is a nice addition, but its Watt readings seem to underestimate actual demand
Unlike nearly all other AC adapters for laptops, this one requires its own set of cooling fans
Unlike nearly all other AC adapters for laptops, this one requires its own set of cooling fans
Surface temperatures are surprisingly cool even when under extreme loads
Surface temperatures are surprisingly cool even when under extreme loads
Beginning of Witcher 3 benchmark from 1:00 mark and onwards
Beginning of Witcher 3 benchmark from 1:00 mark and onwards
Beginning of FurMark stress from 30s mark and onwards. The application was launched from an idling state
Beginning of FurMark stress from 30s mark and onwards. The application was launched from an idling state
Minimum display brightness from 0 to 30s. Maximum display brightness from 30s and onwards
Minimum display brightness from 0 to 30s. Maximum display brightness from 30s and onwards
Prime95 stress from the 4:10 mark and onwards. The system was running FurMark earlier in the benchmark
Prime95 stress from the 4:10 mark and onwards. The system was running FurMark earlier in the benchmark
System idle from 0 to 30s. At the 30s mark, Prime95 was initiated. Note the temporary boost in power consumption up to about 180 W before leveling out to an average of 155 W
System idle from 0 to 30s. At the 30s mark, Prime95 was initiated. Note the temporary boost in power consumption up to about 180 W before leveling out to an average of 155 W
System idle from 0 to 30s. At the 30s mark, both Prime95 and FurMark were initiated. Readings remain very unusually unstable throughout
System idle from 0 to 30s. At the 30s mark, both Prime95 and FurMark were initiated. Readings remain very unusually unstable throughout
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.13 / 7.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 54.7 / 55.7 / 56.8 Watt
Load midlight 183.7 / 321.8 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 Sky X9C
i7-8700K, GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), 2x Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB m.2 NVMe (RAID 0), IPS, 3840x2160, 17.30
Alienware 17 R4
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, SK Hynix PC300 NVMe 512 GB, TN LED, 2560x1440, 17.30
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
i7-7920HQ, GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 18.40
Aorus X9
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e, TN, 2560x1440, 17.30
MSI GT80-2QES32SR311BW
4980HQ, GeForce GTX 980M SLI, 4x Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NU (RAID 0), Wide View, Super PLS, 1920x1080, 18.40
Power Consumption
34%
-9%
28%
19%
Idle Minimum *
54.7
37.5
31%
45
18%
29
47%
34.3
37%
Idle Average *
55.7
37.6
32%
54
3%
35
37%
41.9
25%
Idle Maximum *
56.8
37.6
34%
62
-9%
42
26%
49.3
13%
Load Average *
183.7
122.4
33%
178
3%
140
24%
140.2
24%
Witcher 3 ultra *
454.8
180.3
60%
380
16%
295
35%
Load Maximum *
321.8
277.4
14%
586
-82%
334
-4%
328.6
-2%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Unsurprisingly, runtimes are very poor. Owners would be lucky to get 1.5 hours out of the machine even with SLI disabled and on the lowest brightness setting with the Power Saver profile active. The MSI GT83VR can pull in closer to 2 hours of WLAN runtime despite its larger screen size and smaller battery due in part to its less demanding HQ-class processor.

Charging from empty to full capacity will take upwards of 2.5 hours compared to 1.5 to 2 hours on most Ultrabooks and less powerful gaming notebooks. We were hoping that the specialized AC adapter would have meant faster charging potential, but that is unfortunately not the case.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
1h 23min
WiFi Websurfing
1h 18min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 47min
Eurocom Sky X9C
i7-8700K, GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), 89 Wh
Alienware 17 R4
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 99 Wh
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
i7-7920HQ, GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), 75.24 Wh
Aorus X9
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), 94.24 Wh
Eurocom Sky X7E2
6700K, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 89 Wh
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
R7 1700, Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), 76 Wh
Battery Runtime
137%
51%
78%
58%
17%
Reader / Idle
83
276
233%
146
76%
174
110%
137
65%
103
24%
WiFi v1.3
78
181
132%
118
51%
134
72%
104
33%
90
15%
Load
47
69
47%
59
26%
71
51%
83
77%
53
13%

Pros

+ fastest CPU performance in its market segment; desktop LGA 1151 socket
+ comfortable surface temperatures when under heavy load
+ 5x storage bays; PCIe x4 NVMe and RAID options
+ consistent CPU and GPU clock rates
+ cool AC adapter temperatures
+ loud speakers w/ decent bass
+ relatively easy serviceability
+ wide customization options
+ unlocked CPU and GPU
+ firm build quality

Cons

- strange power consumption behavior when under unrealistic extreme loads
- high CPU temperatures when under extreme load
- fans are always active; very loud when gaming
- very short battery life; non-removable battery
- no gold-plated ESS Sabre DAC audio ports
- spotty SLI performance in the latest titles
- access to storage bays is cumbersome
- high GPU temperatures when gaming
- moderate uneven backlight bleeding
- manual fan controls could be better
- AC adapter requires active cooling
- matte display is slightly grainy
- no individually-lit RGB keys
- low overclocking overhead

Verdict

In review: Eurocom Sky X9C. Test model provided by Eurocom
In review: Eurocom Sky X9C. Test model provided by Eurocom

We've made our thoughts on SLI clear in the past. For gaming purposes, SLI has always been a mixed bag. The advent of DX12 in particular has made SLI even more difficult to recommend as the API now relegates multi-GPU optimization to the hands of the individual developers rather than Nvidia. Reliable SLI support is becoming very spotty as a result and the tepid benchmark numbers reinforce this notion. Users who want SLI in a notebook should have very specific reasons for owning the technology because the extra GPU can be worse than paperweight in many cases.

With that out of the way, the Eurocom Sky X9C has swiftly topped most of the benchmarks in our database due to its extreme configuration and Core i7-8700K. Its modular components and wide range of supported hardware features continue to be the highlight of owning a Eurocom over alternatives from more well-known manufacturers.

The same disadvantages remain as with nearly all Eurocom notebooks we've tested. The very dense performance profile entails loud fan noise (54 dB(A)), very warm core temperatures (>85 C), heavy weight (5.6 kg), and a short battery life that may as well be measured in minutes. While weight and runtimes aren't huge factors for gaming notebooks, the hot core temperatures significantly limit overclocking potential and the loud noise is as much of an enemy as any onscreen obstacle when gaming. We can't help but to wonder how this system could have performed by removing SLI and doubling down on the number of heat pipes for both the CPU and GPU. We're willing to bet that the resulting lower temperatures, quieter fans, higher Boost clock rates, and wider overclocking potential would lead to better gaming performance even if the synthetic benchmark scores would be lower than a SLI configuration.

A few aspects of the chassis and software seem stuck in the past. The lack of individually-lit RGB keys is becoming more difficult to forgive and the inner plastic bezel of the display still feels cheap compared to an Alienware design. The Control Center and overclocking utilities are more focused on creating an attractive "Fisher-Price" GUI with large font sizes instead of a clean interface with easily accessible options that aren't buried in multiple windows. Features that are actually more useful to gamers like data recording, video recording, direct RPM adjustments/readings for each fan, and performance overlays are still missing in the pre-installed software.

For the best overall gaming experience, users are better off configuring the Sky X9C with a single GTX 1080 and then overclocking from there. More budget-conscious gamers can get essentially the same gaming performance from a less demanding 45 W HQ-class processor since most titles are not bound by the CPU. Make sure to have a good pair of headphones when gaming!

Eurocom Sky X9C - 12/29/2017 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
78 / 98 → 80%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
71 / 81 → 88%
Weight
31 / 10-66 → 37%
Battery
49%
Display
88%
Games Performance
98%
Application Performance
98%
Temperature
88 / 95 → 92%
Noise
52 / 90 → 57%
Audio
90%
Camera
37 / 85 → 43%
Average
73%
85%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Eurocom Sky X9C (i7-8700K, GTX 1080 SLI, Clevo P870TM1-G) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2017-12-29 (Update: 2019-03-25)