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Eurocom Tornado F5 Notebook Review

Core i7-7700K in a laptop. Stuff a 91 W desktop processor and a 150 W Nvidia GPU in a 15.6-inch notebook and you'll have more processing power in a portable 3 kg system than most full-size PCs.

The Tornado F5 is a unique series from Eurocom as it uses an in-house chassis design not derived from an existing barebones. Nonetheless, the notebook takes several cues from both Clevo and MSI in numerous aspects as the final product has the "feel" of an MSI system whilst having the vast internal options of a Clevo system.

Our test unit is one of the first notebooks to ship pre-configured with an unlocked Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake CPU. Other core specifications and features are just as impressive including the removable GTX 1070 GPU, 64 GB of DDR4 RAM, and NVMe M.2 Samsung SSD. For this review, we want to see how well the new design compares against the competition in addition to how efficiently it can cool both a 91 W desktop CPU and an MXM Nvidia GPU.

Other 15.6-inch alternatives include:

Eurocom Tornado F5
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700K 4 x 4.2 - 4.5 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1442 MHz, Memory: 8008 MHz, GDDR5, 375.95
Memory
64 GB 
, PC4-25600, DDR4 SDRAM, 4x SODIMM
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, IPS, Name: LG Philips LP156WF6, ID: LGD046F, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Z170 (Skylake PCH-H)
Storage
Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2, 512 GB 
, Secondary: 1 TB HGST HTS721010A9E630
Soundcard
NVIDIA GP104 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headphone, mic, line-in and S/PDIF, Card Reader: UHS-II card reader
Networking
Qualcomm/Atheros e2400 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 39.8 x 390 x 266 ( = 1.57 x 15.35 x 10.47 in)
Battery
75.24 Wh Lithium-Ion, removeable
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: FHD
Primary Camera: 2 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 2 W stereo, Sound Blaster X-FI MB3, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, GeForce Experience, Killer Network Manager, KLM, Magix Music Maker Silver, SCM, Silent Option, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
3.105 kg ( = 109.53 oz / 6.85 pounds), Power Supply: 925 g ( = 32.63 oz / 2.04 pounds)
Price
2000 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The chassis design is best described as a hybrid between the MSI GE62 and Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme. It's boxier than the GE62 with flatter edges and corners while incorporating many internal features of the P5 Pro such as the ability to run on desktop LGA 1151 CPUs and removable MXM 3.0 GPUs. The aluminum and plastic chassis is generally stable around the base, albeit weaker than on the P5 Pro as it is possible to slightly warp the keyboard or palm rest surfaces with a solid push of a finger. Otherwise, the base is resistant to twists with only very minimal creaking when attempting to bend its corners.

The lid is the most fragile part of the Tornado F5. It's unfortunately more flexible and prone to damage compared to other notebooks of its size class as its thin surfaces bend and warp a little too easily. Part of this can be attributed to the small corner hinges (as opposed to the single-bar solution on the Clevo P870DM3) as the lid is subsequently weaker down its center. The hinges are otherwise rigid enough to prevent teetering when typing and can allow the display to open up to 170 degrees.

Workmanship is excellent from top to bottom with no unintended gaps or openings between materials. This includes the inner bezel where the plastic meets the edges of the screen as we found issues around this particular area on our last MSI GE62 test unit.

As for size and weight, the Tornado F5 is thicker and heavier than most other gaming notebooks in its size class with the bulky Acer Predator 15 being a notable exception. The entire system feels quite dense and much of its girth can be attributed to the substantial cooling requirements to run the demanding CPU and GPU in addition to all of its other expandable features. The super-thin MSI GS63VR is less than half the thickness and over a full kilogram lighter than the more powerful Eurocom.

391 mm / 15.4 inch 300 mm / 11.8 inch 39 mm / 1.535 inch 3.7 kg8.2 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 39.8 mm / 1.567 inch 3.1 kg6.85 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 24 mm / 0.945 inch 2.5 kg5.58 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.5 kg5.47 lbs382 mm / 15 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 249 mm / 9.8 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.9 kg4.19 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

While the selection of ports is decent with mDP, HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 3, and 4x audio, the placement of them in less than ideal. In particular, all three USB Type-A ports are on the right edge with none on the left. The rear ports can also be difficult to reach without taking a peek especially for the smaller USB Type-C port. Lastly, the left audio ports are quite close to the front edge and can potentially occupy valuable desk space. It's unfortunate that some of the rear ports couldn't be moved to the more accessible left edge since this side is quite empty.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: SD reader, 3x USB 3.0
Right: SD reader, 3x USB 3.0
Rear: Gigabit Ethernet, USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, mDP 1.2, AC adapter
Rear: Gigabit Ethernet, USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, mDP 1.2, AC adapter
Left: Kensington Lock, 3.5 mm Headphone, Microphone, S/PDIF (digital), Line-in
Left: Kensington Lock, 3.5 mm Headphone, Microphone, S/PDIF (digital), Line-in

SD Card Reader

The integrated SDXC card reader offers a transfer rate of up to 192 MB/s with our Toshiba Exceria Pro UHS-II test card. Moving 1 GB worth of pictures from our card to desktop will take just over 6 seconds.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
 
166 MB/s +4%
Eurocom Tornado F5
 
159.5 MB/s
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
 
125 MB/s -22%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
 
224 MB/s +17%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
 
205 MB/s +7%
Eurocom Tornado F5
 
191.9 MB/s

Communication

The Killer 1535 M.2 2242 module is included for theoretical transfer rates of up to 867 Mbps on an 802.11ac network. The card is a popular option amongst high-end gaming notebooks as it also offers special features like DoubleShot Pro and the handy Network Manager software. We experienced no connectivity issues with our specific test unit.

Check out our standalone review on the Killer 1535 for more benchmarks and an overview of the technology.

Networking
iperf3 receive AX12
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
682 MBit/s +22%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
647 MBit/s +16%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
558 MBit/s
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
624 MBit/s +10%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
569 MBit/s
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
506 MBit/s -11%

Accessories

Eurocom includes a couple more extras than most other manufacturers to encourage end-user tinkering and upgrading. Aside from the usual Quick Start guide, service manual, and Drivers/Utilities disc, the reseller throws in additional screws, HDD padding, and a small tube of thermal paste. An optional external optical drive will be needed to read the Drivers disc.

Maintenance

The bottom panel can be removed with a simple Philips screwdriver to reveal the core internals of the notebook such as its 2x SODIMM slots, 2x M.2 2280 slots, 2.5-inch SATA III bay, battery, system fans, and the all-important LGA 1151 and MXM 3.0 sockets. The WLAN module is hidden underneath the heat pipes while the other two SODIMM slots are on the other side of the motherboard and will require additional disassembly to access.

Warranty

The standard one-year limited warranty applies to new purchases of the Tornado F5 compared to two years from the likes of MSI or Gigabyte. Additional coverage is available at up to three years.

Easy serviceability
Easy serviceability

Input Devices

RGB lighting for three separate sections of the keyboard
RGB lighting for three separate sections of the keyboard

Keyboard

Readers who follow gaming notebooks closely will notice that the layout and design of the backlit keyboard is identical to the SteelSeries keyboard on MSI gaming notebooks. This is true down to the feel and feedback of the keys as well, so users can expect the same outstanding experience as on the MSI GT or GS series of notebooks that we've covered numerous times in the past. Keystroke is firm and even between the keys with minimal clatter. There is little to complain as far as Chiclet keyboard go, although certain Gigabyte notebooks offer deeper key travel to avoid keys from feeling too shallow.

A minor complaint is the lack of a dedicated Caps Lock light indicator, so users must rely on software-based onscreen notifications for Caps Lock status.

Touchpad

Likewise, the rigid touchpad (~10.8 x 6 cm) surface provides a smooth and even glide with no noticeable issues regarding responsiveness or reliability for simple cursor movement. The Synaptics V7.5 software is able to recognize gestures of up to three fingers. In this case, the software isn't always perfect in registering multi-touch actions like pinch-to-zoom.

The two dedicated mouse keys are firm, very shallow in travel, and easy to use. Not much force is required to input a click, so clicking multiple times in rapid succession will not result in fatigue as quickly.

Same backlit keyboard as on the MSI GE62 series
Same backlit keyboard as on the MSI GE62 series
Firm feedback with quiet clatter
Firm feedback with quiet clatter

Display

The Tornado F5 can be configured with either a FHD or 4K UHD panel. There are no options in between including 5 ms/120 Hz panels as found on certain MSI or Aorus systems or even wider color gamut choices. The latter is a bit surprising as many Eurocom systems have full sRGB or AdobeRGB display options to better appeal to graphic artists. G-Sync comes standard since the chassis is catered more towards gamers instead.

Our FHD SKU utilizes a very similar LG Philips LP156WF6-SPP1 IPS panel as on the Asus Strix GL502VM, Acer Predator 15 G9, and Asus Zenbook UX510UW. Unsurprisingly, the Eurocom display shares many qualities with these three notebooks including similar contrast levels and color space coverage. Black-White response times, however, are slightly slower on the Eurocom even after rechecking measurements. Subjectively, the matte screen is crisp and clean with no noticeable graininess or artifacts when viewing from a normal distance.

Backlight bleeding is very even across the entirety of the screen on our test unit. The slight bleeding on the top corners are difficult to notice even during movie playback with black borders.

Slight uneven backlight bleeding on top right corner
Slight uneven backlight bleeding on top right corner
Matte subpixel array (141 PPI)
Matte subpixel array (141 PPI)
295.8
cd/m²
308.7
cd/m²
293.9
cd/m²
309.8
cd/m²
315.8
cd/m²
308.4
cd/m²
317.2
cd/m²
327.3
cd/m²
314.7
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 327.3 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 310.2 cd/m² Minimum: 16.46 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 315.8 cd/m²
Contrast: 957:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
83% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
54.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
83% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.12
Eurocom Tornado F5
IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus Strix GL502VM-FY039T
LG Philips LP156WF6-SPB6 (LGD046F), IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Acer Predator 15 G9-593-765Q
LG Philips LP156WF6-SPP1 (LGD04D5), IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
LG Philips LP156WF6-SPB6, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI GS63VR-6RF16H22 Stealth Pro
Samsung 156HL01-104 (SDC324C) , IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
0%
0%
-4%
12%
Display P3 Coverage
64.5
64.5
0%
63.6
-1%
61.5
-5%
67.8
5%
sRGB Coverage
83
83.4
0%
83.9
1%
80.4
-3%
97.4
17%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
60.7
60.9
0%
61.3
1%
58.8
-3%
69.7
15%
Response Times
1%
8%
-1%
17%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
33.6 ?(8.4, 25.2)
40 ?(15, 25)
-19%
35 ?(14, 21)
-4%
40 ?(20, 20)
-19%
Response Time Black / White *
31.2 ?(4.4, 26.8)
25 ?(5, 20)
20%
25 ?(5, 20)
20%
26 ?(6, 20)
17%
26 ?(8, 18)
17%
PWM Frequency
202 ?(100)
Screen
3%
5%
-6%
8%
Brightness middle
315.8
321
2%
273
-14%
326
3%
293
-7%
Brightness
310
296
-5%
267
-14%
316
2%
279
-10%
Brightness Distribution
90
88
-2%
83
-8%
80
-11%
84
-7%
Black Level *
0.33
0.33
-0%
0.27
18%
0.35
-6%
0.33
-0%
Contrast
957
973
2%
1011
6%
931
-3%
888
-7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5
4.42
12%
3.77
25%
5.49
-10%
3.59
28%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.1
9.78
3%
10.64
-5%
11.36
-12%
5.79
43%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.2
3.34
20%
2.48
41%
4.84
-15%
3.86
8%
Gamma
2.12 104%
2.4 92%
2.37 93%
2.23 99%
2.53 87%
CCT
6107 106%
6213 105%
6854 95%
5971 109%
7229 90%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
54.5
55
1%
55
1%
53
-3%
63
16%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
83
83
0%
84
1%
80
-4%
97
17%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
1% / 2%
4% / 5%
-4% / -5%
12% / 10%

* ... smaller is better

Our FHD panel covers an estimated 83 percent and 55 percent of the sRGB and AdobeRGB standards, respectively. Exceptional color accuracy is not usually a deal breaker for gamers while professional digital artists may be out of luck.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. MSI GS63VR
vs. MSI GS63VR

Colors and grayscale are already quite accurate out of the box. Calibration with an X-Rite spectrophotometer will improve both even further including an almost perfect RGB balance. Colors become less accurate at higher levels due to the imperfect sRGB coverage of the panel.

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
31.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 4.4 ms rise
↘ 26.8 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 82 % 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
33.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8.4 ms rise
↘ 25.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 39 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to 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 under shade and below average when under direct sunlight. The notebook was not designed for outdoor use with bright ambient lighting despite the matte IPS panel to reduce glare. Viewing angles are wide with no major color degradation at extreme angles save for a slight reduction in apparent brightness and contrast.

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

Performance

The brand new Kaby Lake Core i7-7700K is the star of the show as it directly supplants the popular Skylake i7-6700K. Part of its speed boost over the i7-6700K is due to its higher base clock rate of 4.2 GHz versus 4 GHz from the outgoing Skylake processor. Turbo Boost frequency is slightly faster as well from 4.2 GHz on the i7-6700K to 4.4 - 4.5 GHz on the i7-7700K. As a result, the overclocking overhead is actually quite minimal since the base clock rate is already very close to the rated Turbo Boost potential of the new CPU. Our next sections show that the i7-7700K can struggle to maintain clock rates above its base frequency when under extreme stress in order to sustain safe operating temperatures.

Outside of the CPU, users can configure between GeForce Pascal (GTX 1060/1070/1080), Maxwell (GTX 970M/980M), and Quadro (Mx000M) options. There are no integrated GPU options since G-Sync comes standard.

Processor

How much faster is the i7-7700K than the i7-6700K? According to CineBench benchmarks, the Kaby Lake CPU scores about 15 percent and 25 percent higher in multi-threaded and single-threaded operations, respectively. Additionally, it is able to complete Super Pi and wPrime calculations faster as well by about 10 to 15 percent. The margins here are noticeably wider than our comparisons between the ULV Kaby Lake i7-7500U and the Skylake i7-6500U, so enthusiasts who can utilize the additional horsepower will notice faster speed improvements.

Interestingly, the final score for CineBench R15 multi-thread is much closer to the i7-6700K than on other benchmarks even after multiple reruns.

See our dedicated CPU page on the Core i7-7700K for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
190 Points
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
160 Points -16%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
152 Points -20%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
144 Points -24%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
140 Points -26%
Eurocom Shark 4
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
136 Points -28%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
897 Points
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
874 Points -3%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
719 Points -20%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
706 Points -21%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
676 Points -25%
Eurocom Shark 4
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
596 Points -34%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
2.19 Points
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
1.72 Points -21%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
1.68 Points -23%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.68 Points -23%
Eurocom Shark 4
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
1.59 Points -27%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.55 Points -29%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
9.78 Points
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
8.55 Points -13%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
7.96 Points -19%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
7.75 Points -21%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.39 Points -24%
Eurocom Shark 4
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
6.45 Points -34%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
28189 Points
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
23815 Points -16%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
21681 Points -23%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
21313 Points -24%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
19720 Points -30%
Eurocom Shark 4
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
18041 Points -36%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
7222 Points
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
6434 Points -11%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
5632 Points -22%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
5567 Points -23%
Eurocom Shark 4
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
5224 Points -28%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
4720 Points -35%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Eurocom Shark 4
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
247 s * -40%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
224.7 s * -27%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
206.3 s * -17%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
205.9 s * -17%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
176.3 s *
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
574 s * -30%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
572 s * -30%
Eurocom Shark 4
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
545 s * -24%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Intel Core i7-6700K
484.6 s * -10%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
440 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
14797
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
28189
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
7222
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
89.8 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
9.78 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
2.19 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
131.7 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
897 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
190 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark 8 benchmarks rank the Tornado F5 faster than the Eurocom Sky X7E2 with the i7-6700K and GTX 1080 GPU. This could be partly due to the faster M.2 SSD in the Tornado F5 since the performance of storage drives have traditionally had larger impacts on PCMark results. Subjectively, system performance is fast when multi-tasking or launching applications and we experienced no major software or hardware related issues during our time with the test unit.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
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
Eurocom Sky X7E2
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
4579 Points -16%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
4437 Points -19%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
3683 Points -33%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
6515 Points
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
4916 Points -25%
Eurocom Sky X7E2
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
4816 Points -26%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
4623 Points -29%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
8593 Points
Eurocom Sky X7E2
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
8576 Points 0%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
7780 Points -9%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
4526 Points -47%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
5476 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
8593 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
6515 points
Help

Storage Devices

A total of three internal storage bays are available (2x M.2 2280 + 1x 2.5-inch SATA III) and all are easily accessible. The two M.2 slots also support NVMe speeds and are RAID compatible, albeit not RAID compatible with NVMe SSDs. This means owners can only pair PCIe/SATA III SSDs in RAID formation if so desired. Furthermore, the HDD bay is squeezed in tightly near the corner of the chassis adjacent to the battery and will require some wiggling to properly replace.

Our test unit shipped with a primary 512 GB Samsung M.2 NVMe SSD and secondary 1 TB Hitachi Travelstar HDD. Sequential read and write rates are measurably faster than the Samsung SM951 NVMe SSDs in the Sky X7E2 and EVGA SC17 while a pair of NVMe SSDs in RAID 0 will still outperform the single SSD in our configuration. Meanwhile, the secondary 7200 RPM HDD returns a respectable average transfer rate of 110 MB/s according to HD Tune.

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

2x M.2 2280 slots adjacent to SODIMM modules
2x M.2 2280 slots adjacent to SODIMM modules
The 2.5-inch drive can be tricky to remove
The 2.5-inch drive can be tricky to remove
AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM (Primary SSD)
CDM (Primary SSD)
CDM (Secondary HDD)
CDM (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
 
Eurocom Tornado F5
Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
43%
3%
-8%
-64%
Read Seq
2145
3219
50%
1673
-22%
1658
-23%
510
-76%
Write Seq
1724
2572
49%
1576
-9%
1249
-28%
274.6
-84%
Read 512
715
1776
148%
1180
65%
1044
46%
427.2
-40%
Write 512
967
2445
153%
1561
61%
1254
30%
247.2
-74%
Read 4k
55.9
51.1
-9%
51.5
-8%
51.6
-8%
21.23
-62%
Write 4k
180.6
141.3
-22%
144
-20%
145.2
-20%
86.8
-52%
Read 4k QD32
744
658
-12%
694
-7%
601
-19%
335.4
-55%
Write 4k QD32
634
554
-13%
422.1
-33%
386.8
-39%
178.1
-72%
Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
Sequential Read: 2145 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1724 MB/s
512K Read: 715 MB/s
512K Write: 967 MB/s
4K Read: 55.9 MB/s
4K Write: 180.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 744 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 634 MB/s

GPU Performance

3DMark benchmarks rank the GTX 1070 in the Tornado F5 about 35 percent ahead of the GTX 980 for notebooks and about 25 percent behind the GTX 1080. The jump from a GTX 1060 to a GTX 1070 is about 50 percent, which is significant enough to be able to run most games in native 4K. It's worth noting that our desktop setup with the i7-4790K and GTX 1070 outscores our Eurocom by about 13 percent in Fire Strike Ultra Graphics.

See our dedicated review on the GTX 1070 for more technical information and comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Graphics
MSI Gaming Z GeForce GTX 1070 OC Bios Desktop PC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K
4500 Points +13%
Eurocom Tornado F5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K
3996 Points
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
3009 Points -25%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
2603 Points -35%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
2299 Points -42%
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics
Aorus X7 DT v6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK
10551 Points +29%
Eurocom Tornado F5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K
8168 Points
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
6123 Points -25%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
5423 Points -34%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
4623 Points -43%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Aorus X7 DT v6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK
21928 Points +27%
MSI Gaming Z GeForce GTX 1070 OC Bios Desktop PC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K
18408 Points +6%
Eurocom Tornado F5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K
17321 Points
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
13018 Points -25%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
11617 Points -33%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
9608 Points -45%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Aorus X7 DT v6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK
27135 Points +18%
MSI Gaming Z GeForce GTX 1070 OC Bios Desktop PC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K
26098 Points +13%
Eurocom Tornado F5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K
23042 Points
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
16946 Points -26%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
15019 Points -35%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
12472 Points -46%
1280x720 Performance Combined
MSI Gaming Z GeForce GTX 1070 OC Bios Desktop PC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K
11274 Points +2%
Eurocom Tornado F5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K
11099 Points
Aorus X7 DT v6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK
10854 Points -2%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
9017 Points -19%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
8343 Points -25%
MSI GE72VR-6RF16H21
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
8102 Points -27%
3DMark 11 Performance
18317 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
174858 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
34367 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
14664 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
7647 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Real-world performance in our tested games is thankfully about the same as our desktop GTX 1070 reference in 1080p despite the consistently slower 3DMark Fire Strike scores above. Users will be able play most if not all games as of 2016 at native 1080p and on the maximum settings with this particular GPU. We suggest enabling supersampling on older titles for an even crisper image with far less aliasing since G-Sync is already available. The GTX 1070 was, after all, designed with native 4K rendering in mind.

See our dedicated GPU page on the GTX 1070 for more gaming benchmarks.

Rise of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x
Aorus X7 DT v6
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
118 fps +20%
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
98 fps
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
94 (85min - 104max) fps -4%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
63.5 fps -35%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
60.4 fps -38%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
42.8 fps -56%
Sleeping Dogs - 1920x1080 Extreme Preset AA:Extreme
Aorus X7 DT v6
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
140.6 fps +20%
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
117.1 fps
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
75.2 fps -36%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
44.9 fps -62%
Guild Wars 2 - 1920x1080 All Maximum / On AA:FX
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
91.7 fps
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
52.9 fps -42%
BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Aorus X7 DT v6
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
164.7 fps +10%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
152 fps +2%
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
149.6 fps
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
106.2 fps -29%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
105.5 fps -29%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
69.5 fps -54%
Metro: Last Light - 1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x
Aorus X7 DT v6
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
130 fps +11%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
120 fps +2%
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
117.6 fps
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
88.3 fps -25%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
82.1 fps -30%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
50.5 fps -57%
Batman: Arkham Knight - 1920x1080 High / On AA:SM AF:16x
Aorus X7 DT v6
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
141 fps +62%
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
87 fps
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
63 fps -28%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
62 fps -29%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
36 fps -59%
Fallout 4 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x
Aorus X7 DT v6
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
124 fps +15%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
109 fps +1%
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
107.6 fps
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
79.3 fps -26%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
71.6 fps -33%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
43.5 fps -60%
Doom - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:SM
Aorus X7 DT v6
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
153 fps +12%
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
136.5 fps
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
134 (111min - 173max) fps -2%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
96.5 fps -29%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
84.3 fps -38%
Overwatch - 1920x1080 Epic (Render Scale 100 %) AA:SM AF:16x
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
161 (135min - 187max) fps 0%
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
160.5 fps
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
118.2 fps -26%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
106.3 fps -34%
Mafia 3 - 1920x1080 High Preset
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
66 fps
Ashes of the Singularity - 1920x1080 high
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
78.2 fps
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition
GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
77.6 fps -1%
low med. high ultra
Sleeping Dogs (2012) 117.1
Guild Wars 2 (2012) 91.7
BioShock Infinite (2013) 149.6
Metro: Last Light (2013) 117.6
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 87
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 60
Fallout 4 (2015) 107.6
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 98
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 78.2
Doom (2016) 136.5
Overwatch (2016) 160.5
Mafia 3 (2016) 66

Stress Test

We stress the notebook with synthetic benchmarks to identify for any throttling or system stability issues. When under Prime95 load, the i7-7700K can be observed alternating between 2.4 GHz and 4.3 GHz compared to its base 4.2 GHz clock rate. This throttling is a bit unusual as it occurs when under Prime95 load only. On the other hand, this behavior may also be purposeful in order to keep core temperature in check as we can observe the CPU operating in the low 90 C range when under such conditions. We reran our Prime95 stress test with Turbo Fan active as well to see if it would improve performance, but the same 2.4/4.3 GHz alternating clock rates continue. In other words, the CPU overclocking headroom on the Tornado F5 is minimal at least with the i7-7700K option.

Running FurMark to stress the GPU will bring its core temperature up to 74 C. This is a very acceptable range for a GPU under load especially for a gaming notebook where 80+ C operating temperatures are common. Running both Prime95 and FurMark will throttle the CPU to a stable 3.8 GHz with CPU and GPU temperatures at 97 C and 77 C, respectively. Interestingly, activating Turbo Fan will not reduce the CPU temperature and will instead raise its core clock rate by 100 MHz. This suggests that the cooling system is at its limits for the CPU while the GPU stabilizes at a much lower 68 C. For hardcore gamers, it may be worth considering a less powerful CPU option and the more powerful GTX 1080 for a better temperature balance.

Running Unigine Valley is more representative of in-game loads and, when under these conditions, both the CPU and GPU can maintain steady levels of Boost at 4.4 GHz and 1557 to 1595 MHz, respectively. Core temperatures are warm and steady in the 75 to 85 C range and can fall by as much as 10 C each when Turbo Fan is activated.

Operating on battery power will throttle both CPU and GPU power. A 3DMark 11 run on battery returns Physics and Graphics scores of 7882 and 4626 points, respectively, compared to 11510 and 23042 points when on mains.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress w/ Turbo Fan
Prime95+FurMark stress w/ Turbo Fan
Unigine Valley stress
Unigine Valley stress
Unigine Valley stress w/ Turbo Fan
Unigine Valley stress w/ Turbo Fan
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 2.4 - 4.3 -- 91 44
FurMark Stress -- 1240 85 74
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.8 1215 97 77
Prime95 + FurMark Stress (Turbo Fan) 3.9 1240 97 68
Unigine Valley Stress 4.4 1557 84 75
Unigine Valley Stress (Turbo Fan) 4.4 1595 74 63

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling system consists of seven heat pipes and twin 70 mm fans in an asymmetrical arrangement. More affordable and popular gaming notebooks like the GS63VR or Aspire VX5 have smaller fans and only two or three heat pipes due to their thinner profiles, cost-cutting measures, and less powerful CPUs.

The fans are always active in the low 33 dB(A) range no matter the processing load. This is audible in a quiet room, but the low hum can be easily ignored and is generally stable under low loads with no aggravating pulsing behavior. When gaming, the Tornado F5 will run significantly louder than many 17-inch alternatives including the GT73VR. While certainly not as loud as Razer or Aorus notebooks, gaming with headphones is still recommended since anything above the 40 dB(A) mark is quite loud for a notebook.

Maximum stress with both Prime95 and FurMark will induce a fan noise of 47.5 dB(A) and activating Turbo Fan will raise this even further to 52.5 dB(A).

Accessible LGA 1151 and MXM 3.0 slots
Accessible LGA 1151 and MXM 3.0 slots
Twin 70 mm fans. Note the WLAN module hidden underneath
Twin 70 mm fans. Note the WLAN module hidden underneath
Preset automatic fan controls
Preset automatic fan controls
Custom fan speeds based on preset temperatures
Custom fan speeds based on preset temperatures
Eurocom Tornado F5
Eurocom Tornado F5
MSI GT72VR
MSI GT72VR
Aorus X7 DT v6
Aorus X7 DT v6

Noise Level

Idle
33.3 / 33.5 / 33.5 dB(A)
Load
44.2 / 52.5 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: 29.4 dB(A)
Eurocom Tornado F5
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
Aorus X7 DT v6
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
Noise
-2%
2%
-1%
-5%
off / environment *
29.4
30
-2%
31
-5%
29.2
1%
28.6
3%
Idle Minimum *
33.3
34
-2%
34
-2%
33.9
-2%
32.2
3%
Idle Average *
33.5
35
-4%
35
-4%
33.9
-1%
35.2
-5%
Idle Maximum *
33.5
37
-10%
37
-10%
33.9
-1%
35.2
-5%
Load Average *
44.2
39
12%
37
16%
43.8
1%
51.7
-17%
Load Maximum *
52.5
56
-7%
44
16%
53.4
-2%
55.7
-6%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Surface temperatures are generally cool for a gaming notebook. Hot spots are on the areas above the first row of keys where hands and fingers are less likely to touch as shown by the temperature maps below. Keyboard keys remain comfortable in the low 30 C range even when under extreme processing loads while the palm rests are even cooler. The bottom surface has warmer hot spots, but this is not bothersome during regular use on a flat desk.

Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Max. Load
 36.8 °C
98 F
32 °C
90 F
37.4 °C
99 F
 
 26.4 °C
80 F
33.2 °C
92 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 23.4 °C
74 F
26.8 °C
80 F
28.8 °C
84 F
 
Maximum: 37.4 °C = 99 F
Average: 31 °C = 88 F
43.8 °C
111 F
44.8 °C
113 F
40.8 °C
105 F
32 °C
90 F
35.4 °C
96 F
25.2 °C
77 F
23.8 °C
75 F
22.4 °C
72 F
21.2 °C
70 F
Maximum: 44.8 °C = 113 F
Average: 32.2 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  47.6 °C = 118 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31 °C / 88 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 37.4 °C / 99 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 44.8 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.8 °C / 75 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 28.8 °C / 83.8 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+0.1 °C / 0.2 F).

Speakers

Subwoofer near rear corner
Subwoofer near rear corner

The built-in 2 W stereo speakers output satisfactory sound at their default settings. Higher volume settings will not introduce any static or reverberations throughout the chassis. The dedicated subwoofer could have been a little more powerful as our microphone measurements below show a drop off at around 250 Hz versus 125 Hz on the GT72VR. The frequency range on the Tornado F5 is not as evenly reproduced or wide as its larger MSI counterpart.

The included Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3 software and support for external 7.1 surround systems can help improve sound quality or bypass the internal speakers altogether, respectively. There appears to be no dedicated DAC to fully support high-impedance studio-grade headphones.

Eurocom Tornado F5
Eurocom Tornado F5
Aorus X7 DT v6
Aorus X7 DT v6
MSI GTR72VR
MSI GTR72VR
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.436.72535.134.93133.634.34030.334.35031.232.96330.831.68029.831.910029.932.512530.835.116029.436.820027.242.225026.35031525.751.640025.255.550024.858.363025.559.180027.560.5100023.865.1125023.461.5160023.454.5200022.962.4250022.960.9315022.657.8400022.554.5500022.555.4630022.455.7800022.352.91000022.3491250022.448.91600022.352.4SPL35.871.3N2.527.6median 23.4median 54.5Delta1.66.335.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseEurocom Tornado F5Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Eurocom Tornado F5 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (71.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 13.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (12.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.7% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.2% 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

Our Eurocom is generally more power efficient than some larger 17-inch alternatives when idling on desktop or during low loads which helps to explain its longer runtimes as shown in our next section below. Gaming will draw about 170 W while maximum load will demand just over 200 W. In comparison, systems with the GTX 1080 like the Aorus X7 DT or GT73VR can demand over 250 W or 300 W, respectively.

The external power adapter (~17 x 8.5 x 3.5 cm) is rated for up to 230 W or about 30 W higher than our measurement when under maximum load. Thus, users intending to upgrade the Tornado F5 with a GTX 1080 may need to consider the optional and more capable 330 W power adapter.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 1.76 / 2.9 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 21.2 / 25.1 / 26.3 Watt
Load midlight 169.4 / 202.4 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 Tornado F5
i7-7700K, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0), TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
5700HQ, GeForce GTX 960M, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP, TN, 1920x1080, 15.60
Aorus X7 DT v6
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e, TN LED, 2560x1440, 17.30
Power Consumption
-28%
8%
7%
-32%
Idle Minimum *
21.2
29
-37%
20
6%
15.5
27%
31.5
-49%
Idle Average *
25.1
35
-39%
27
-8%
22.5
10%
33.9
-35%
Idle Maximum *
26.3
40
-52%
31
-18%
44.9
-71%
34.6
-32%
Load Average *
169.4
94
45%
86
49%
122.4
28%
205.6
-21%
Load Maximum *
202.4
315
-56%
184
9%
122.6
39%
250.8
-24%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes are decent for a system with a desktop-class CPU and no Optimus graphics switching. We were able to clock in just over 3.5 hours of WLAN runtime compared to 1.5 to 2 hours on the larger Eurocom X7E2 and Aorus X7 DT v6 notebooks. Simply idling on desktop on the Power Saver mode and at the minimum screen brightness will last for just under 5 hours.

The 75 Wh battery is non-removable this time unlike on many other Clevo configurations from Eurocom.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
4h 51min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 36min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 07min
Eurocom Tornado F5
i7-7700K, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 75.24 Wh
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 75.2 Wh
Eurocom Sky X7E2
6700K, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 89 Wh
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 74.48 Wh
Aorus X7 DT v6
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 94 Wh
Battery Runtime
-26%
-27%
-20%
-10%
Reader / Idle
291
137
-53%
242
-17%
182
-37%
WiFi v1.3
216
160
-26%
104
-52%
160
-26%
144
-33%
Load
67
83
24%
55
-18%
94
40%

Pros

+ Standard LGA 1151 and MXM 3.0 sockets
+ excellent backlit keyboard and touchpad
+ generally cool surface temperatures
+ extreme CPU and GPU power
+ USB Type-C w/ Thunderbolt 3
+ steady fan noise; no pulsing
+ easy serviceability
+ G-Sync standard

Cons

- very warm CPU temperature when under extreme loads
- no full AdobeRGB or sRGB display options
- no 5 ms/120 Hz display options
- loud fan noise when gaming
- display lid could be stronger
- no individually-lit keys
- poor port placement
- thick and heavy

Verdict

In review: Eurocom Tornado F5. Test model provided by Eurocom.
In review: Eurocom Tornado F5. Test model provided by Eurocom.

The Tornado F5 continues the Eurocom tradition of offering faster performance, more customization, and longer legs than the popular equivalents from big name manufacturers. There's no denying that its ability to run on standard desktop processors and removable GPUs without voiding a warranty seal is one of the best aspects of owning a Eurocom system.

If the above advantages are not appealing, then there's little reason to prefer the enthusiast Tornado F5 over something more mainstream like the MSI GE62, Asus GL502, or new HP Omen 17. These systems are less expensive and far less bulky while carrying the same GTX 1070 GPU. Overall system performance may be slower, but gaming performance will be nearly identical since the raw CPU performance of an i7-5700HQ or i7-6700HQ processor on most gaming notebooks is already more than enough for most titles.

The system does not appear to suffer from any major throttling when under gaming loads. More extreme loads with Prime95, however, pushes temperatures to almost 100 C even after throttling core clock rates. Thus, users hoping for ample overclocking headroom from the i7-7700K may be disappointed. The GTX 1070 operating temperatures are more acceptable since the system can be configured with the more demanding GTX 1080. In either case, Eurocom is riding a fine line in terms of thermal limits and configurable options in order to offer one of the fastest notebooks yet in this screen size.

The chassis could be stronger and core temperatures could be lower. Otherwise, the Tornado F5 trumps the competition in raw power and customization so long as its high price isn't a deterring factor.

Eurocom Tornado F5 - 01/03/2017 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
83 / 98 → 85%
Keyboard
79%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
63 / 81 → 78%
Weight
56 / 10-66 → 82%
Battery
73%
Display
85%
Games Performance
98%
Application Performance
100%
Temperature
93 / 95 → 98%
Noise
70 / 90 → 78%
Audio
70%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
76%
85%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Allen Ngo, 2017-01- 4 (Update: 2020-06- 8)