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Gigabyte P55W V4 Notebook Review

A much needed refresh. Gigabyte's newest redesign throws Broadwell into the mix for some impressive results. Find out why the P55 is one of our favorite notebooks to come from Gigabyte thus far.

The P55 series is Gigabyte's latest entry in the 15.6-inch gaming category. It succeeds both of the P25 and P35 series with updated looks and features. It doesn't yet offer GTX 980M graphics or 3K or 4K displays as does the P35 series, however, but we do expect future configurations to include these options.

Our P55W v4 model today houses a Core i7-5700HQ CPU, GTX 970M GPU, 8 GB RAM, and a 1080p matte IPS display. This Broadwell core is quite new and Gigabyte is one of the first few to ship these with their new PCs. Otherwise, the specifications should feel familiar to mobile gaming enthusiasts. Is there anything else that separates this model from the crowded 15.6-inch gaming segment?

Gigabyte P55 V4 (P55 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-5700HQ 4 x 2.7 - 3.5 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M - 3 GB VRAM, Core: 924 MHz, Memory: 5010 MHz, 348.1, Manual switch
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3-1600, 11-11-11-28
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, LG Philips, ID: LGD040E, Name: 156WF4, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM97
Storage
Lite-On LMT-128L9M, 128 GB 
, Secondary: 1 TB HGST HTS721010A9E630 HDD
Soundcard
Intel 9-series Chipset
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 1x 3.5 mm headphones, 1x 3.5 mm microphone, Card Reader: SD reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-N 7265 (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
MATSHITADVD-RAM UJ8G2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 34 x 380 x 269 ( = 1.34 x 14.96 x 10.59 in)
Battery
57 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 5400 mAh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: 2 Watt stereo, Doby Digital Plus Home Theater, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, User's Manual, Drivers and Windows DVDs, Screen wipe, SmartManger v3, Smart Switch, XSplit Gamecaster, CyberLink PowerDVD 10,SmartUpdate, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.72 kg ( = 95.95 oz / 6 pounds), Power Supply: 680 g ( = 23.99 oz / 1.5 pounds)
Price
1260 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

We've criticized Gigabyte in the past for its stale dark gray design. The P55 has addressed this tremendously well by injecting just enough colors and style to the chassis without it looking overbearing. Had Gigabyte over-designed it, then the P55 would have overlapped with the more gaudy Aorus series. We love the new sharp edges and orange trims that give Gigabyte a bit more of an identity when up against ROG, Alienware, and other showy models. Its smooth matte black surfaces are still a fingerprint magnet, however, especially on the keyboard keys and touchpad.

The design may be spot-on, but has quality improved? Gigabyte is sticking with hard plastic as opposed to brushed aluminum surfaces on the recent Asus G501 series. Pushing down on the center of the keyboard still results in slight to moderate warping and the situation is a bit worse on the center of the outer lid. It's a dense chassis nonetheless, but it could have been a bit more rigid. On the other hand, the dual hinges are excellent up to the ~135 degree maximum with no display rocking when typing.

As for size, the P55 is about as thick as the Alienware 15 and Asus GL551. Its front edge is sloped to appear thinner than the notebook actually is. There are many other 15-inch gaming notebooks that come thinner than the P55, but they are typically less powerful or are more susceptible to high temperatures and throttling issues. Thus, our Gigabyte is about 300 to 700 grams heavier than thinner gaming notebooks like the Asus G501, Acer Aspire V15, and Lenovo Y50. It's still lighter than the Alienware 15 (2.7 kg vs. 3.0 kg), but then again Alienware has the stronger chassis.

386 mm / 15.2 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 34 mm / 1.339 inch 3.1 kg6.83 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 32 mm / 1.26 inch 2.7 kg5.95 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 269 mm / 10.6 inch 34 mm / 1.339 inch 2.7 kg6 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 258 mm / 10.2 inch 24 mm / 0.945 inch 2.4 kg5.29 lbs387 mm / 15.2 inch 263.4 mm / 10.4 inch 23.9 mm / 0.941 inch 2.4 kg5.27 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs385 mm / 15.2 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2.3 kg5.05 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

It's uncommon for a 15-inch gaming notebook to have both VGA and an optical drive. Users who frequently use either of these aging features will certainly appreciate the P55. Otherwise, the notebook offers the usual USB 3.0, HDMI, and Gigabit RJ-45 ports expected from its category. There is notably no mini-DisplayPort available, unlike on the P35 models.

It's worth keeping in mind that the optical drive and exhaust vents take up a lot of space on the sides of the notebook. This pushes the ports closer to the front of the device where cables are more likely to become a nuisance and take up desk space. Most other notebooks have their ports towards the rear to avoid this issue.

Front: SD reader
Front: SD reader
1x 3.5 mm mic, 1x 3.5 mm headphones, 2x USB 3.0, Optical drive, AC adapter
1x 3.5 mm mic, 1x 3.5 mm headphones, 2x USB 3.0, Optical drive, AC adapter
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Right: Kensington Lock, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0
Right: Kensington Lock, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0

Communication

WLAN, WiDi, and Bluetooth 4.0 are provided by a dual-band (2x2) Intel wireless-N 7265 M.2 module. The theoretical maximum transfer rate is 300 Mbps for 802.11n networks. No AC configurations are yet available for this particular model. Nonetheless, we ran into no connectivity issues during our time with the P55.

No WWAN or GPS options are available on this gaming notebook.

Maintenance

Accessibility is user-friendly as all that is needed is a Philips screwdriver. It's not very quick, however, as the bottom panel is held down by 13 screws.

Users have easy access to the battery, both system drives, 2x SODIMM slots, M.2 slot, and other core components. Note that removing the heat pipes to expose the processors will result in voiding the limited warranty.

Accessories

Included items are a User's Manual, Drivers DVD, Media DVD, and screen wipe. Gigabyte offers little in the way of accessories and the P55 has no dedicated port for specialized docking stations.

Warranty

Gigabyte is one of the few laptop manufacturers who offer two-year limited warranty as standard for U.S. customers. The battery and adapter are covered for the first year only, while dead pixels are covered if more than 4 are present.

Relatively easy maintenance and accessibility
Relatively easy maintenance and accessibility

Input Devices

Keyboard

Gigabyte has vastly improved the backlit keyboard (34 x 10.5 cm) to the point where we can call it one of the most comfortable keyboards for a 15.6-inch gaming notebook. Key travel is now 2.2 mm, which is considerably deeper than other notebook and most definitely Ultrabooks. The Asus G501, for example, provides a travel of just 1.6 mm in comparison. This has also resulted in visibly taller keys that are less flushed with the notebook chassis as shown in our images below.  If you've always complained about how keyboards on notebooks can feel too shallow, then you may be surprised by the P55. Feedback is solid with minimal clatter as well.

The NumPad and full-size Arrow keys are also welcomed. What's missing, however, are dedicated Macro keys and other specialized features. Larger notebooks like the MSI GT72 have a column of buttons for graphics switching and fan control, while even the smaller Aorus X3 Plus has dedicated Macro keys to aid in gaming.

Touchpad

The touchpad is of adequate size at 10 x 7 cm. Its bottom portion is reserved for the integrated mouse buttons, so the actual surface area for cursor control is closer to 10 x 5 cm. This is the exact same size touchpad as found on the sub 14-inch Aorus X3 Plus as well and we feel that Gigabyte could have at least made this a bit wider to take advantage of the additional space. Its surface is still responsive without any cursor glitches and its Elan software supports multi-touch controls up to three fingers.

As for the integrated mouse keys, they require a bit more pressure than usual to register and the travel is very shallow. The feedback is firm nonetheless with a loud and satisfying click.

Standard keyboard layout with no auxiliary or Macro keys
Standard keyboard layout with no auxiliary or Macro keys
2.2 mm keystroke feels fantastic
2.2 mm keystroke feels fantastic

Display

The matte 1080p display comes standard with no higher or lower resolution options.  Its LG Philips LGD040E panel is also the exact same one used on last year's Gigabyte P25X V2 and P35W V2, so it's not the first time we've seen such a panel from Gigabyte. Subjectively, display quality is very good with no major backlight bleeding or screen-door effect. Text and images are crisp, but there is a slight graininess of colors when up close. This is most evident when displaying pure white at a high brightness setting. Such a characteristic is common on matte panels and is less overt on glossy displays.

Maximum brightness on the P55 is lower than we expected at 260 nits, whereas most competing gaming models are easily above 300 nits. Gigabyte advertises 300 nits for the P55. This is still more than sufficient for indoor gaming, so users need not worry about the screen being too dim. Black levels are still low for a high contrast of roughly 1000:1 to match other gaming models in our comparison below.

264.1
cd/m²
255
cd/m²
278.3
cd/m²
247.3
cd/m²
262.3
cd/m²
258.8
cd/m²
266.6
cd/m²
278
cd/m²
276.9
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips, ID: LGD040E, Name: 156WF4 tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 278.3 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 265.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 209.8 cd/m²
Contrast: 1013:1 (Black: 0.259 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.29 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2.28 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
80.3% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
53% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
58.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
80.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.31
Gigabyte P55 V4Asus G501JW-CN168HAcer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574HAlienware 15 (R9 M295X)Lenovo IdeaPad Y50-70-59441229Dell XPS 15 (9530-0538)
Display
25%
-0%
5%
-32%
11%
Display P3 Coverage
64
76.5
20%
63.2
-1%
65.5
2%
39.51
-38%
64.9
1%
sRGB Coverage
80.6
100
24%
80.6
0%
85.4
6%
59.4
-26%
96.1
19%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
58.9
76.4
30%
58.9
0%
62.4
6%
40.82
-31%
66.9
14%
Screen
-9%
-17%
-1%
-21%
10%
Brightness middle
262.3
344
31%
320
22%
314
20%
214
-18%
349
33%
Brightness
265
337
27%
283
7%
294
11%
227
-14%
365
38%
Brightness Distribution
89
95
7%
83
-7%
87
-2%
79
-11%
87
-2%
Black Level *
0.259
0.31
-20%
0.32
-24%
0.33
-27%
0.23
11%
0.282
-9%
Contrast
1013
1110
10%
1000
-1%
952
-6%
930
-8%
1238
22%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.29
5.98
-39%
5.31
-24%
4.14
3%
4.9
-14%
2.65
38%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.28
5.75
-152%
4.73
-107%
2.8
-23%
4.13
-81%
3.77
-65%
Gamma
2.31 95%
2.51 88%
2.36 93%
3.19 69%
2.44 90%
2.41 91%
CCT
6350 102%
7366 88%
5980 109%
6540 99%
7239 90%
6786 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
53
71
34%
52.9
0%
56
6%
38
-28%
61.02
15%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
80.3
100
25%
85
6%
59
-27%
96.1
20%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
8% / -0%
-9% / -12%
2% / 0%
-27% / -24%
11% / 10%

* ... smaller is better

Color coverage is roughly 80 percent and 53 percent of sRGB and AdobeRGB, respectively. This is common amongst high quality IPS panels, especially when compared to the poorer panel on the Lenovo Y50. Asus advertises the G501 and UX501 series as models with a very wide gamut, so these displays in particular are even better than what Gigabyte have to offer on the P55. For gaming purposes, however, precision colors are not a deal breaker.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. Asus G501JW
vs. Asus G501JW
vs. Lenovo Y50
vs. Lenovo Y50

Further color analyses with an X-Rite spectrophotometer reveal accurate colors and grayscale out-of-the-box. Our calibration improved color balance just slightly, but otherwise had little effect overall. Colors tend to become more inaccurate the higher the saturation level, which implies a limited color space for the panel. Competing notebooks are more likely to ship with cooler color temperatures and require calibration for more accurate grayscale.

Grayscale pre-calibration
Grayscale pre-calibration
Saturation Sweeps pre-calibration
Saturation Sweeps pre-calibration
ColorChecker pre-calibration
ColorChecker pre-calibration
Grayscale post calibration
Grayscale post calibration
Saturation Sweeps post calibration
Saturation Sweeps post calibration
ColorChecker post calibration
ColorChecker post calibration

Outdoor usability is average at best as the backlight is not powerful enough to overcome direct sunlight. An overcast day is already enough to wash out the screen. To add insult to injury, maximum display brightness will artificially drop to just 200 nits when disconnected from AC power.

Viewing angles are excellent as expected from an IPS panel and colors do not significantly degrade even from extreme angles. This becomes useful if using the notebook outdoors to avoid as much glare as possible.

Performance

Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz for all four cores
Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz for all four cores

The current (and only) configuration of the P55 thus far uses a Core i7-5700HQ CPU and Nvidia GTX 970M GPU with 3 GB GDDR5 RAM. This particular Broadwell core is relatively new to our database, but we expect many more notebooks to begin carrying this CPU in the near future. Meanwhile, the GTX 970M is a common find on both thick and thin gaming notebooks. Perhaps more notably, the P55 utilizes a manual switch for its dedicated Nvidia GPU and integrated Intel HD 5500 GPU. Users must restart to BIOS to switch graphics - There is no dedicated button like there is on the MSI GT72. While this avoids inherent problems with Optimus, the system still does not support 3D Vision.

RAM is provided by a single 8 GB SODIMM module from Crucial. There are two slots total for both RAM expansion and dual-channel performance. A quick test with LatencyMon reveals no major interruptions with WLAN active.

Processor

CPU performance is where we expect it to be for an i7-5700HQ processor. CineBench ranks the Broadwell core ahead of the high-end i7-4720HQ Haswell CPU by as much as 20 percent in multi-core performance, though both processors are almost neck-to-neck in raw single-core performance. The differences are largely due to discrepancies in Turbo Boost as the i7-5700HQ is able to maintain faster multi-core clock rates for longer compared to the older generation i7-4720HQ. Meanwhile, the i7-4720HQ is already quite adept at single-core Turbo Boost, so there is much less of a performance boost when moving up to the i7-5700HQ.

The desktop i7-4790K easily outranks our i7-5700HQ by roughly 30 percent at the cost of higher power demand and heat output. More technical details and benchmarks on the i7-5700HQ can be found on our dedicated CPU page here.

CineBench R10 64-bit
CineBench R10 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15 64-bit
CineBench R15 64-bit
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
6821 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
24797 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
6946 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6846
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
20801
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5516
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
58.5 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
6.89 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.54 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
105.5 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
721 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
144 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
144 Points
Asus UX501JW-DS71T
137 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
125 Points -13%
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
171 Points +19%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
721 Points
Asus UX501JW-DS71T
579 Points -20%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
490 Points -32%
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
873 Points +21%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
1.54 Points
Asus UX501JW-DS71T
1.54 Points 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
1.46 Points -5%
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
2.07 Points +34%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
6.89 Points
Asus UX501JW-DS71T
6.44 Points -7%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
5.29 Points -23%
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
9.4 Points +36%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
6946 Points
Asus UX501JW-DS71T
6679 Points -4%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
6493 Points -7%
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
8911 Points +28%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
24797 Points
Asus UX501JW-DS71T
24104 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
18887 Points -24%
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
33974 Points +37%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
205.3 s *
Asus UX501JW-DS71T
271.5 s * -32%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
323 s * -57%
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
174.8 s * +15%
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
593 s *
Asus UX501JW-DS71T
570 s * +4%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
569 s * +4%
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
437 s * +26%

Legend

 
Gigabyte P55 V4 Intel Core i7-5700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Lite-On LMT-128L9M
 
Asus UX501JW-DS71T Intel Core i7-4720HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Samsung SSD SM951 512 GB MZHPV512HDGL
 
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50 Intel Core i7-4700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache
 
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme Intel Core i7-4790K, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF (RAID 0)

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The primary SSD allows the P55 to achieve high scores in PCMark benchmrks. Its PCMark 7 score of 5737 points is on mark with the older Alienware 18 and its GTX 780M SLI graphics. Subjectively, OS navigation is fast and almost instantaneous. Launching larger applications like games will still take some time, of course.

PCMark 7
PCMark 7
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 7 Score
5737 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3853 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4844 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4992 points
Help

Storage Devices

mSATA and 2.5-inch SATA III bays
mSATA and 2.5-inch SATA III bays

A total of two SATA III storage bays are available for mSATA and 2.5-inch drives. Our configuration uses a primary Lite-On LMT-128L9M paired with a secondary 1 TB Hitachi Travelstar HTS721010A9E630 HDD. It's also worth noting that thicker 15.6-inch Clevo models can hold many more internal drives than our Gigabyte if storage space is a concern. The optical drive here can be removed to reduce weight.

Performance from the Lite-On drive is typical of SATA III SSDs with sequential read rates maxing out at roughly 500 MB/s. This particular drive is a common find on a number of other gaming notebooks including the Gigabyte P34W V3, Asus G751, and Razer Blade Pro in RAID configuration. Meanwhile, the 1 TB drive shows an average transfer rate of 106.7 MB/s, which is above average for a 7200 RPM drive. Access time is of course orders of magnitude slower than its SSD counterpart.

RAID is not supported on the P55, so users won't be able to get transfer rates as high as systems with the newer PCIe x4 interface. The Asus UX501 and G501, for example, have sequential transfer rates well over 1000 MB/s.

More benchmarks on HDDs and SSDs can be found on our comparison table here.

CDM Lite-On SSD
CDM Lite-On SSD
CDM HGST HDD
CDM HGST HDD
HD Tune Lite-On SSD
HD Tune Lite-On SSD
HD Tune HGST HDD
HD Tune HGST HDD
Lite-On LMT-128L9M
Transfer Rate Minimum: 165.1 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 415.8 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 352.9 MB/s
Access Time: 0.1 ms
Burst Rate: 334.5 MB/s
CPU Usage: 1.7 %

GPU Performance

3DMark benchmarks place the P55 alongside its Aorus X3 Plus v3 sibling, which is good considering that both systems carry the GTX 970M GPU. The Gigabyte sits quite comfortably between the GTX 980M in our Eurocom P5 Pro and the Radeon R9 M295X in our Alienware 15 in terms of raw performance. Jumping from a GTX 960M to the 970M will grant a tremendous boost in graphical power.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark 06 Standard Score
28380 points
3DMark 11 Performance
8699 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
64146 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
20807 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6746 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
3439 points
Help
3DMark
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
3544 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
4336 Points +22%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
3432 Points -3%
Asus G501JW
1865 Points -47%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
7634 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
9358 Points +23%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
7463 Points -2%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
6414 Points -16%
Asus G501JW
3906 Points -49%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
44135 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
57597 Points +31%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
42859 Points -3%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
32639 Points -26%
Asus G501JW
21403 Points -52%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
10053 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
11209 Points +11%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
9862 Points -2%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
8234 Points -18%
Asus G501JW
4860 Points -52%
LuxMark v2.0 64Bit
Room GPUs-only (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
1247 Samples/s
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
1215 Samples/s -3%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
1132 Samples/s -9%
Asus G501JW
667 Samples/s -47%
Sala GPUs-only (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
2421 Samples/s
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
2268 Samples/s -6%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
2057 Samples/s -15%
Asus G501JW
1097 Samples/s -55%
ComputeMark v2.1
1024x600 Normal, Score (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
5114 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
6490 Points +27%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
5067 Points -1%
Asus G501JW
3139 Points -39%
1024x600 Normal, Fluid 3DTex (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
601 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
756 Points +26%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
588 Points -2%
Asus G501JW
401 Points -33%
1024x600 Normal, Fluid 2DTexArr (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
589 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
760 Points +29%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
573 Points -3%
Asus G501JW
371 Points -37%
1024x600 Normal, Mandel Vector (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
1248 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
1550 Points +24%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
1265 Points +1%
Asus G501JW
684 Points -45%
1024x600 Normal, Mandel Scalar (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
1095 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
1379 Points +26%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
1055 Points -4%
Asus G501JW
771 Points -30%
1024x600 Normal, QJuliaRayTrace (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
1580 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
2044 Points +29%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
1587 Points 0%
Asus G501JW
911 Points -42%

Legend

 
Gigabyte P55 V4 Intel Core i7-5700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Lite-On LMT-128L9M
 
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme Intel Core i7-4790K, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF (RAID 0)
 
Aorus X3 Plus v3 Intel Core i7-4710HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 2x Lite-On LMT-256L9M (RAID 0)
 
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X) Intel Core i7-4710HQ, AMD Radeon R9 M295X, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-75JC3T0
 
Asus G501JW Intel Core i7-4720HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Samsung SSD SM951 512 GB MZHPV512HDGL

Gaming Performance

Real-world performance in games is unsurprisingly similar to that of the Aorus X3 Plus v3. However, our P55 is slightly slower than expected on a few titles such as Thief and F1 2014. While our Aorus in comparison uses the same GTX 970M GPU, it is also one of the few notebooks to carry the 6 GB GDDR5 VRAM variant. This puts the 3 GB GTX 970M in our P55 at a slight disadvantage when playing on higher graphical settings. It also doesn't help that our configuration is equipped with only 8 GB of single-channel RAM.

Nonetheless, gaming performance still rivals the Radeon R9 M295X and is well above the GTX 960M. Overall performance allows most games to be played on locked 1080p30 Ultra settings. A GTX 980M is still required for a reliable 1080p60 experience when playing demanding titles.

More benchmarks and details on the GTX 970M can be found on out dedicated GPU page here.

Battlefield: Hardline
Battlefield: Hardline
F1 2014
F1 2014
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
low med. high ultra
Sleeping Dogs (2012) 112.5 45.2
Guild Wars 2 (2012) 57.3 45.1
Tomb Raider (2013) 188.6 88.8
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (2013) 118 76.4
BioShock Infinite (2013) 128.4 68.4
Metro: Last Light (2013) 80 48.9
Thief (2014) 56.3 43.3
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) 69.2 52.6
Ryse: Son of Rome (2014) 48.2 46.1
F1 2014 (2014) 80 73
Battlefield Hardline (2015) 75.3 53
BioShock Infinite
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
68.4 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
85.8 fps +25%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
72 fps +5%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
65.4 fps -4%
Asus G501JW
41.6 fps -39%
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
128.4 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
217.8 fps +70%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
154.7 fps +20%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
142 fps +11%
Asus G501JW
104.2 fps -19%
Metro: Last Light
1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
48.9 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
65 fps +33%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
52.6 fps +8%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
42.6 fps -13%
Asus G501JW
25.7 fps -47%
1366x768 High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
80 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
117.5 fps +47%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
93.6 fps +17%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
71.2 fps -11%
Asus G501JW
50.8 fps -36%
Tomb Raider
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
88.8 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
102.6 fps +16%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
79.3 fps -11%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
61.1 fps -31%
Asus G501JW
47.9 fps -46%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
188.6 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
241.8 fps +28%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
186.1 fps -1%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
110.9 fps -41%
Asus G501JW
106.8 fps -43%
Thief
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
43.3 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
62.5 fps +44%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
47.4 fps +9%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
32.2 fps -26%
Asus G501JW
24 fps -45%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
56.3 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
101 fps +79%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
67.9 fps +21%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
51.3 fps -9%
Asus G501JW
43.8 fps -22%
F1 2014
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
73 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
116 fps +59%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
97 fps +33%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
70 fps -4%
Asus G501JW
63 fps -14%
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
80 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
118 fps +48%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
111 fps +39%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
86 fps +8%
Asus G501JW
91 fps +14%
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
1920x1080 Ultra Preset (HD Package) (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
52.6 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
66.6 fps +27%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
52.5 fps 0%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
44.6 fps -15%
Asus G501JW
27.1 fps -48%
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
69.2 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
90.7 fps +31%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
65.7 fps -5%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
58 fps -16%
Asus G501JW
32.6 fps -53%
Sleeping Dogs
1920x1080 Extreme Preset AA:Extreme (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
45.2 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
56.5 fps +25%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
45.1 fps 0%
Asus G501JW
21.1 fps -53%
1366x768 High Preset AA:High (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
112.5 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
162.3 fps +44%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
133.2 fps +18%
Asus G501JW
77.3 fps -31%
Ryse: Son of Rome
1920x1080 Very High Texture Res. + High Graphics Quality (Motion Blur & Temporal AA On, Rest Off/Disabled) AF:8x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
46.1 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
56.6 fps +23%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
45.3 fps -2%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
37.8 fps -18%
Asus G501JW
24.4 fps -47%
1920x1080 High Texture Res. + High Graphics Quality (Rest Off/Disabled) AF:8x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
48.2 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
58 fps +20%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
48.8 fps +1%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
41.7 fps -13%
Asus G501JW
27.6 fps -43%
Guild Wars 2
1920x1080 All Maximum / On AA:FX (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
45.1 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
68.4 fps +52%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
51.7 fps +15%
Asus G501JW
33.5 fps -26%
1366x768 Best Appearance Preset AA:FX (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
57.3 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
81.7 fps +43%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
60.6 fps +6%
Asus G501JW
58.2 fps +2%
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
1920x1080 Ultra / Extreme AA:on (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
76.4 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
101.5 fps +33%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
79.3 fps +4%
Asus G501JW
46 fps -40%
1366x768 High AA:on (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
118 fps
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
123 fps +4%
Aorus X3 Plus v3
116.6 fps -1%
Asus G501JW
115.6 fps -2%
Battlefield Hardline
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics Quality (DX11) AA:4x MS (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
53 fps
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
38.9 fps -27%
1920x1080 High Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value)
Gigabyte P55 V4
75.3 fps
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
58.4 fps -22%

Stress Test

We stress the notebook with synthetic benchmarks to identify any throttling or stability issues. We have also set the system fan to maximum during these tests. With Prime95 active to stress the CPU, the i7-5700HQ is able to run consistently at its 3.5 GHz maximum while maintaining a relatively cool core temperature of about 75 C. FurMark brings the GPU down to a stable 797 MHz from its base 924 MHz and a warmer core temperature of 80 C.

Full stress with both Prime95 and Furmark causes the CPU to fall steadily to 2.9 GHz, which is still 200 MHz above its base clock. Perhaps more unusually, the Nvidia GPU now runs a bit faster at 835 MHz. Regardless, the CPU and GPU reach much higher core temperatures of 95 C and 87 C, respectively. It's impressive that the notebook maintains some level of Turbo Boost under even the most unrealistic of processing load conditions.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Full system stress
Full system stress

Next, we use Unigine Heaven to more accurately simulate gaming load. The P55 performs better under these conditions as expected. The CPU is able to maintain its 3.5 GHz maximum Turbo and the GPU maintains its maximum 1037.4 MHz core clock. CPU and GPU temperatures remain steady at 80 to 85 C and 80 to 82 C, respectively. Note that the system fan must be set to maximum for the processors to run at these speeds. Otherwise, temperatures will climb higher and clock frequencies will fluctuate when gaming.

To test for any performance degradation, we run the Metro: Last Light benchmarks ten times in a row to see if frame rates drop or overtime. The first and final runs return an average FPS of 78.1 and 76.9, respectively, so benefits from GPU Boost should remain consistent when gaming.

Running on battery power will reduce both CPU and GPU performances. All Turbo Boost benefits are stripped as the CPU will only run in the 2.3 to 2.6 GHz range while the GPU fluctuates in the 860 to 1012 MHz range. Memory clock takes a hit as well from its base 1252 MHz to just 799 MHz. A 3DMark 11 run on battery power returns Physics and Graphics scores of 5840 and 7766 points, respectively, compared to 6464 and 10053 points on mains.

Unigine Heaven stress
Unigine Heaven stress
Metro: Last Light Run #1
Metro: Last Light Run #1
Metro: Last Light Run #10
Metro: Last Light Run #10

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling system of the P55 has more in common with the older MSI GT notebooks than other recent Gigabyte or Aorus models. Instead of two smaller fans, the P55 utilizes a single large one with three thick heat pipes. The solution is nowhere near as extreme as the one on the 15-inch Eurocom P5 Pro, but it is powerful nonetheless. Gigabyte's built-in fan controls allow users to manually set the maximum fan speed up to 4300 RPM. Its default Automatic mode will have fan speed in the 1600 to 2600 RPM range.

Setting the fan to Quiet mode will stop it from spinning for silent operation (~ 30 dB(A)). Unfortunately, the secondary HDD in our configuration is very loud at 35 dB(A), so users may want to remove or disable this drive when not in use or simply replace it with a SSD. Fan noise will rise and settle at around 52 dB(A) when gaming. Users can set this lower, but gaming performance will suffer.

Compared to competing 15.6-inch notebooks, the 50 dB(A) range is similar to the Alienware 15 and MSI GE62. Systems with the weaker GTX 960M are quieter, such as the Asus G501, while thicker systems like the Asus G751 have the luxury of both quieter fans and better performance. The P55 is a loud gaming machine no matter how you look at it.

Three large heat pipes for CPU and GPU
Three large heat pipes for CPU and GPU
70 mm system fan
70 mm system fan

Noise Level

Idle
28.8 / 28.9 / 29 dB(A)
HDD
35 dB(A)
DVD
37.6 / 40.1 dB(A)
Load
39 / 52.3 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)

Temperature

SmartManager gives a quick glimpse at system vitals
SmartManager gives a quick glimpse at system vitals

Notebooks with optical drives tend to have uneven temperature profiles and this trend applies to the P55. When idling or under low loads, the center of the keyboard can feel noticeably warmer than the sides and palm rests as this area sits directly above the CPU. We were able to measure over 40 C on the bottom of the notebook even when the system is idling. Other 15-inch gaming notebooks, like the Asus G501 or Alienware 15, stay well below 40 C or even 30 C under low processing loads.

When subjected to very high loads, surfaces closest to the heat pipes experience the largest gains in temperature while surfaces closest to the optical drive barely change. Since the heat pipes and processors are concentrated on the left side of the notebook, there is a steep temperature gradient present. The left side of the keyboard and WASD keys are guaranteed to become warmer than the right side when gaming. This is compared to the Aorus models where their dual fan solution creates more even and favorable temperature profiles.

Max. Load
 48.2 °C
119 F
44.4 °C
112 F
36.2 °C
97 F
 
 45 °C
113 F
46.6 °C
116 F
34.2 °C
94 F
 
 37.8 °C
100 F
44.8 °C
113 F
36 °C
97 F
 
Maximum: 48.2 °C = 119 F
Average: 41.5 °C = 107 F
32.8 °C
91 F
36.6 °C
98 F
40.4 °C
105 F
27.8 °C
82 F
43.4 °C
110 F
50.2 °C
122 F
28.8 °C
84 F
37.6 °C
100 F
48.4 °C
119 F
Maximum: 50.2 °C = 122 F
Average: 38.4 °C = 101 F
Power Supply (max.)  50.2 °C = 122 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 41.5 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48.2 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 50.2 °C / 122 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.9 °C / 91 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 44.8 °C / 112.6 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-15.9 °C / -28.6 F).

Speakers

Stereo speakers on the bottom front edge of the notebook
Stereo speakers on the bottom front edge of the notebook

Sound quality from the 2 W stereo speakers is average. The P55 is notably lacking a subwoofer, so sounds lack the extra oomph that they would have otherwise had. This becomes apparent at higher volume when tones become more imbalanced due to the poor bass. It's certainly better than the majority of Ultrabooks, but is a few steps down compared to most gaming notebooks with a 2.1 sound system.

The integrated Dolby Digital Plus software helps to bring out the most out of the speakers. Still, we find it to be less useful than the Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3 software included with many Clevo barebones. 

Battery Life

An internal 6-cell 57 Wh battery is included with no other capacity options. This is similar in size to the batteries found on the MSI GS60 and Lenovo IdeaPad Y50, while the Asus G501 carries a much larger capacity at the cost of internal storage space.

Runtimes on the P55 are good at just shy of 4 hours during our standard WLAN test (150 nit setting, Balanced Profile, active integrated GPU) and over 8 hours when sitting idle at the lowest screen brightness setting. The large gap means that users can squeeze out much more than 4 hours depending on Power and brightness settings.

Compared to competing 15.6-inch notebooks, the Gigabyte outlasts the MSI GE62, MSI GS60, and Lenovo Y50, but falls behind the Acer Aspire V15 Nitro and Asus G501. The Y50 has a weaker 960M GPU and it still manages to have shorter runtimes than the more powerful P55. 

Minimum runtime (Classic Test)
Minimum runtime (Classic Test)
Maximum runtime (Reader's Test)
Maximum runtime (Reader's Test)
WLAN runtime
WLAN runtime
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
8h 37min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 51min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 35min
Gigabyte P55 V4
57 Wh
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H
52 Wh
MSI GS60 2QE Ghost Pro 4K (2QEUi716SR51G)
52 Wh
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11
51 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50-70-59441231
55 Wh
Asus G501JW
96 Wh
Battery Runtime
72%
-55%
-40%
-16%
39%
Reader / Idle
517
797
54%
276
-47%
234
-55%
388
-25%
415
-20%
WiFi v1.3
231
448
94%
162
-30%
203
-12%
286
24%
Load
95
161
69%
36
-62%
63
-34%
84
-12%
202
113%
WiFi
184

Pros

+ Excellent Turbo Boost performance
+ Consistent GPU Boost
+ Comfortable backlit keyboard with deep travel
+ Easy maintenance
+ Good fan controls
+ Sleek design
+ Optical drive
+ mSATA and 2.5-inch storage bays
+ Good battery life
+ Manual GPU switch

Cons

- Maximum fan setting required for maximum performance
- Reduced performance on batteries
- 3 GB GTX 970M instead of 6 GB
- No RAID support
- No DisplayPort
- No dedicated Macro keys
- Loud fan noise under load
- High surface temperatures
- Average speakers; No subwoofer
- Chassis and lid could be more rigid
- Smooth matte surfaces are a fingerprint magnet

Verdict

In Review: Gigabyte P55 V4. Test model provided by Gigabyte
In Review: Gigabyte P55 V4. Test model provided by Gigabyte

First and foremost, the P55 provides the visual upgrade that Gigabyte notebooks have been dying for. In terms of performance, the new Broadwell core also performs very well when compared to the i7-4710HQ and i7-4700HQ CPUs that were popular on gaming notebooks of 2014. Both Turbo Boost and GPU Boost are able to maintain their respective maximums when gaming, albeit at high core temperatures reaching above 80 C.

Perhaps the most distinguishing aspect of the notebook is its excellent keyboard. The extra long travel makes it that much more comfortable to use compared to other Chiclet keyboards on competing gaming notebooks.

Besides these major positives, everything else about the P55 is standard for a high-end gaming notebook. Common attributes like the high-quality IPS display, high surface temperatures, and loud fan noise are still present. The notebook is thicker and heavier than the 15.6-inch P35X, too. The GPU and CPU are both soldered, so don't expect processor upgradeability as offered on the MSI GT72 or Eurocom P5 Pro. Users should also keep in mind that despite the great fan controls, the maximum setting is required to prevent the CPU or GPU from throttling. Thus, hardcore gamers will likely want to keep the fan at its maximum setting.

First and foremost, the P55 provides the visual upgrade that Gigabyte notebooks have been dying for.

Is there still room for improvement? Absolutely, as we hope to see more configurations with more GPU options and 2K or 3K displays. Looking further down the line, a chassis revision would benefit from increased rigidity, a subwoofer for better sound quality, dedicated Macro keys for efficient gaming, RAID, and DisplayPort instead of VGA. We're also eager to see how much better a single-but-large system fan can cope with a potential GTX 980M. In comparison, more gaming notebooks are moving towards dual fans for improved cooling.

The P55 is one of the best-looking notebooks to come from Gigabyte and we'd love to see its design and keyboard expand to other sizes before the inevitable refresh cycle. This is certainly one of our favorites from the manufacturer thus far.

Gigabyte P55 V4 - 01/31/2017 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
82 / 98 → 83%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
45 / 81 → 55%
Weight
58 / 10-66 → 86%
Battery
74%
Display
87%
Games Performance
89%
Application Performance
91%
Temperature
77 / 95 → 81%
Noise
84 / 90 → 93%
Audio
75%
Average
76%
82%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Allen Ngo, 2015-07- 7 (Update: 2020-06- 8)