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Gigabyte P57X v6 Notebook Review

Plain, yet Pascal. Gigabyte hasn’t changed much in their latest refresh of the P57 series gaming machines, but the big headliner here is the introduction of newer NVIDIA Pascal architecture GPUs. With a GTX 1070 in charge, is the P57X v6 likely to turn any heads?

It feels like April all over again. Or, at least, initially: just six months ago, we reviewed the Gigabyte P57W, from which the P57X was born. Both machines are nearly identical in terms of their casing, port layouts, and even most specifications—but the latter now features a formidable NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Laptop), which is a significant upgrade (to put it lightly) from the GTX 970M of its predecessor.

Elsewhere, the same solid specs apply: Intel Core i7-6700HQ, 16 GB of DDR4-2133 RAM, dual storage drive configuration (256 GB M.2 SSD + 1 TB HDD), 17.3-inch 1080p IPS display, 75 Wh battery. Competitively priced at $1,999, there’s an awful lot of power under the hood of this machine. Can it hold up under the scrutiny of our tests?

Gigabyte P57X v6 (P57 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-6700HQ 4 x 2.6 - 3.5 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1645 MHz, Memory: 8000 MHz, 10.18.13.6871, Yes; Intel HD Graphics 530
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4 2133 MHz
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, no, LGD0469, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Sunrise Point HM170
Storage
Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800), 256 GB 
, + secondary HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Sunrise Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Headphones + Microphone, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Realtek Gaming GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1 + LE
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GUD0N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 31 x 418 x 296 ( = 1.22 x 16.46 x 11.65 in)
Battery
75.81 Wh, 6830 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 2 Watt x 2, front/bottom mounted, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
3.246 kg ( = 114.5 oz / 7.16 pounds), Power Supply: 938 g ( = 33.09 oz / 2.07 pounds)
Price
1999 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The P57X case is extremely similar to that of the P57W. As before, it’s primarily comprised of matte black plastic; although it can’t compete with the stability and feel of metal, the material does feel somewhat heavier than the chintzy stuff you’ll find on typical mainstream consumer-grade notebooks. Stability is good overall, with not much yield across the breadth of the base unit under pressure, and only the somewhat flimsier display lid left to foster any doubt. A fairly manageable weight of just 3.25 kg (7.2 lbs) is made possible by the choice of construction materials—a good asset when one factors in the comparably massive power brick (938 g).

To accompany its lighter-than-expected weight is a shrunken form factor for a 17.3-inch gaming notebook as well. Measuring just 31 mm at its thickest point, and sitting with a footprint of 296 mm x 418 mm, it’s considerably smaller than most other notebooks in its class, especially the Acer Predator 17 and Asus G752VS, both of which are quite a bit thicker and wider than the P57X.

The notebook is also particularly nondescript for a gaming model, featuring almost none of the colorful flair and flashy theatrics of its peers apart from a neon-colored orange highlight lining the hinge covers. It’s all business and no fluff with the Gigabyte P57X, and there’s nothing really wrong with that. Speaking of hinges, the P57X’s are rather light with their grip, which enables one-handed opening of the machine, but which also can result in a bouncy display in rocky conditions.

428 mm / 16.9 inch 333 mm / 13.1 inch 51 mm / 2.01 inch 4.5 kg9.94 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 294 mm / 11.6 inch 48 mm / 1.89 inch 3.8 kg8.36 lbs427 mm / 16.8 inch 318 mm / 12.5 inch 36 mm / 1.417 inch 4.4 kg9.7 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 322 mm / 12.7 inch 40 mm / 1.575 inch 4.2 kg9.33 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 305 mm / 12 inch 27.95 mm / 1.1 inch 3.6 kg7.91 lbs418 mm / 16.5 inch 296 mm / 11.7 inch 31 mm / 1.22 inch 3.2 kg7.16 lbs408 mm / 16.1 inch 295.5 mm / 11.6 inch 26.6 mm / 1.047 inch 4 kg8.88 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Yet again, here, nothing has changed from the previous P57W. You still receive four total USB ports, three of which are USB 3.1 Gen 1 and the fourth of which is a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port. There’s also three total video output options between HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, and VGA. Port placement is overall good.

Also returning is the expansion bay, which came populated in our instance by a DVD-RAM drive. Packed in the box is an empty bracket to save weight should you deem the DVD drive unnecessary (and these days, you quite likely may).

SD Card Reader

As show in the below graphs, our SD card tests resulted in an average transfer speed of 76 MB/s, which is reasonably fast, though far from the fastest we have measured. Sequential read speeds are a bit higher at close to 90 MB/s.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
 
136.5 MB/s +79%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
 
78 MB/s +2%
Gigabyte P57X v6
 
76.4 MB/s
Asus G752VS-XB78K
 
76 MB/s -1%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
 
75.3 MB/s -1%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
 
195.2 MB/s +117%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
 
93.8 MB/s +4%
Gigabyte P57X v6
 
89.9 MB/s
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
 
88 MB/s -2%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
 
86 MB/s -4%

Communication

The WLAN adapter in the Gigabyte P57X has not changed since the previous model. The Intel Dual-Band Wireless-AC 8260 adapter has been extensively tested here at Notebookcheck, and during our test period with the P57X, we experienced no issues with connectivity: speeds were fast, and reception was strong. This adapter also provides Bluetooth 4.1 + LE functionality.

On the Ethernet front, the designated adapter is the Realtek Gaming GBE Family Controller, which produced good, consistent speeds during our tests. See our graph for more detail.

The internal WLAN adapter
The internal WLAN adapter
Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m 512KB
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
518 MBit/s +2%
Gigabyte P57X v6
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
507 MBit/s
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m 512KB
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
532 MBit/s +7%
Gigabyte P57X v6
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
497 MBit/s

Accessories

The Gigabyte P57X ships with a rather large 200 W AC adapter (938 g), which brings the total carry weight for the system to around 4.2 kg. Also included is a driver DVD and owner’s manual (vintage!), as well as a bay adapter for a 2.5” hard drive or SSD. The bay is easily swapped from the front edge of the machine; installed by default is the aforementioned DVD-RAM drive, but it’s easy to add another storage drive (for a grand total of three) using the included adapter.

Software

Normally, there isn’t a lot to talk about here, but Gigabyte does include a very useful software suite in their SmartManager application. From here, the user is granted granular control over a range of different aspects of the machine, including both fan speed and GPU overclocking. These choices are made easy by a no-nonsense interface featuring scales of 1 through 5 for both features, and both Automatic and Manual fan speed controls (explained in more detail later in the Noise and Temperatures sections of this review).

Also included are two other applications: Smart Update and Smart USB Backup. The former is a slick, easy-to-use list of all primary device drivers installed on the machine, as well as a list of available updates (including, optionally, Beta versions) for those drivers. Simply clicking an update version installs the driver—simple. Smart USB Backup, meanwhile, produces bootable recovery media should your operating system ever fail to start.

Maintenance

Maintenance is relatively easy—provided you’ve got a little time to remove sixteen screws securing the bottom cover to the machine. Once inside, you will find access to just about every replaceable component, including all storage devices (up to 3), the battery, both RAM SODIMMs, the cooling fans, and the CMOS battery.

The bottom cover...
The bottom cover...
...provides access to most replaceable components.
...provides access to most replaceable components.

Warranty

The Gigabyte P57X includes a 2-year depot warranty standard. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The P57X’s chiclet keyboard features what Gigabyte refers to as “anti-ghosting” technology, meaning that it can handle multiple keypresses on the same axis without losing or delaying keystrokes. Solutions to this problem require more expensive implementations of keyboard circuitry, but it’s something which gamers specifically are likely to appreciate. Still, in spite of this, the keyboard itself is merely passable. Keys are spaced well and we found few complaints with the layout, but the quality of keypresses (which feature a very short travel distance) doesn’t seem up to par with that of many other high-end laptops. Key travel is partially a matter of taste, however, and at least actuation force and feedback are both fairly well-tuned.  The keyboard is also backlit, with two brightness options—in addition to automatic—available for selection. Finally, since this is a 17.3-inch machine, the keyboard also features a number pad off to the right.

One other item of note is the keyboard’s penchant for collecting fingerprints and skin oils, both of which are quite difficult to remove. You can witness some of this for yourself in our photos.

Touchpad

Our experience with the ELAN touchpad, meanwhile, was not so positive. Although it features a spacious surface and responsive and accurate pointer control, the integrated buttons—with their mushy, ambiguous operation—border on unusable. We experienced phantom clicks when pressure was applied to the palm rest (such as when the PC was gripped from the lower-left side of the case), and drag-and-drop operations were unnecessarily challenging, so much so that we generally opted for keyboard shortcuts to accomplish the same tasks (CTRL+P/V, etc.) instead.

Of course, gamers will most often be using an external mouse of some sort during their time with the machine, but it’s still frustrating to have to deal with such a suboptimal input device in between those times.

The keyboard is serviceable...
The keyboard is serviceable...
...and backlit.
...and backlit.
The touchpad, meanwhile, is quite bad.
The touchpad, meanwhile, is quite bad.

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The 17.3-inch, 1920x1080 IPS display on the Gigabyte P57X features a matte finish. With a PPI of 127, it’s on the lower side for screens of this size, but that also means that gaming at native resolutions should present few, if any, issues—and battery life should benefit as well. Subjectively, the screen appears to have good contrast and brightness and reasonably attractive color reproduction. However, we did note some conspicuous backlight bleeding along the bottom of the screen.

311.3
cd/m²
322.4
cd/m²
331.9
cd/m²
312.5
cd/m²
329.2
cd/m²
332
cd/m²
309.4
cd/m²
317.5
cd/m²
321.5
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LGD0469 tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 332 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 320.9 cd/m² Minimum: 9.74 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 329.2 cd/m²
Contrast: 1233:1 (Black: 0.267 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.93 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.72 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
87% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
57% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
87.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
68% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.12
Gigabyte P57X v6
LGD0469, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
17.30, 1920x1080
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
LG Philips LGD046E, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 (AUO109B), IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160
EVGA SC17
IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160
Asus G752VS-XB78K
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF3 (LGD04E8), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Gigabyte P57W
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF1 (LGD0469), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Display
-1%
-1%
32%
33%
-3%
-3%
Display P3 Coverage
68
67.4
-1%
67.6
-1%
86.9
28%
87.6
29%
66.9
-2%
66.5
-2%
sRGB Coverage
87.5
86.3
-1%
86.2
-1%
100
14%
100
14%
85.2
-3%
84.4
-4%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
64
63.2
-1%
63
-2%
99.4
55%
99
55%
62.3
-3%
61.7
-4%
Response Times
-2%
-3%
-2%
-82%
1%
-2%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
33.6 ?(14, 19.6)
34.8 ?(14, 20.8)
-4%
34.4 ?(14.8, 19.6)
-2%
37 ?(13, 24)
-10%
69.6 ?(28.4, 41.2)
-107%
38 ?(14, 24)
-13%
37 ?(13, 24)
-10%
Response Time Black / White *
25.6 ?(5.2, 20.4)
25.6 ?(4.8, 20.8)
-0%
26.4 ?(4.4, 22)
-3%
24 ?(5, 19)
6%
40 ?(10, 30)
-56%
22 ?(4, 18)
14%
24 ?(5, 19)
6%
PWM Frequency
1000 ?(29)
Screen
2%
7%
20%
6%
8%
0%
Brightness middle
329.2
344.9
5%
351.7
7%
336
2%
394.1
20%
328
0%
286
-13%
Brightness
321
329
2%
339
6%
320
0%
368
15%
317
-1%
274
-15%
Brightness Distribution
93
86
-8%
91
-2%
88
-5%
83
-11%
88
-5%
87
-6%
Black Level *
0.267
0.349
-31%
0.37
-39%
0.25
6%
0.439
-64%
0.3
-12%
0.31
-16%
Contrast
1233
988
-20%
951
-23%
1344
9%
898
-27%
1093
-11%
923
-25%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.93
4.49
24%
3.71
37%
3.61
39%
5.79
2%
3.74
37%
4.49
24%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
11.07
8.72
21%
8.48
23%
6.02
46%
8.44
24%
8.97
19%
7.83
29%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.72
4.63
31%
2.46
63%
4.78
29%
4.23
37%
2.67
60%
4.76
29%
Gamma
2.12 104%
2.11 104%
2.29 96%
2.32 95%
2.11 104%
2.41 91%
2.47 89%
CCT
7611 85%
6905 94%
6849 95%
6185 105%
7479 87%
6861 95%
6843 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
57
56.7
-1%
56.6
-1%
88
54%
86.6
52%
56
-2%
55
-4%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
87
86.4
-1%
86.1
-1%
100
15%
100
15%
85
-2%
84
-3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-0% / 1%
1% / 4%
17% / 19%
-14% / -0%
2% / 5%
-2% / -1%

* ... smaller is better

We measured an average brightness of 321 cd/m² along with a contrast ratio of 1233:1—both of which are good values. The strong contrast performance is thanks to a very low black value of 0.267 cd/m². The brightness distribution of 93% also indicates a very consistent illumination across the breadth of the panel, an assertion with which our impressions agree.

According to our measurements, the panel covers 87% of the sRGB spectrum—sufficient for most uses, but suboptimal for those seeking the sort of color accuracy necessary for serious photo editing or graphic design. AdobeRGB 1998 coverage is, of course, quite a bit lower at just 57%.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB 1998
vs. AdobeRGB 1998
vs. Lenovo Y900
vs. Lenovo Y900
vs. Asus ROG G752VS
vs. Asus ROG G752VS

CalMAN 5 provides a more detailed look at the machine’s color reproduction, which is (out of the box) merely decent. Oranges, blues, and greys are particularly deviant, with DeltaE2000 values exceeding 8 and, in the case of white, reaching 11. Total Gamma was measured at 2.12 (ideal: 2.2), and although the CCT average was a rather cool 7611, it can be easily adjusted upwards or downwards using the included Smart Color application, which allows the user to select the desired color temperature for the display.

Color analysis (pre-calibration)
Color analysis (pre-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (pre-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (pre-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (pre-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (pre-calibration)
Color analysis (post-calibration)
Color analysis (post-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (post-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (post-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
25.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5.2 ms rise
↘ 20.4 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 56 % 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↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 19.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 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.

Outdoors, the P57X is comfortable for use in all but the brightest of direct sunlight, thanks to its trifecta of strong brightness and contrast and the anti-glare display finish. Viewing angles are also excellent thanks to the IPS display.

In the sun
In the sun
In the shade
In the shade
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

For the most part, the P57X maintains the same basic hardware configuration as the previous P57W, with a very capable Intel Core i7-6700HQ at the center of the equation, and 16 GB of DDR4-2133 RAM accompanying it. Also on board (and explored in great detail in a bit) is a dual-storage configuration of both SSD and HDD. So, what’s new? The GPU, of course, which has stepped up to the NVIDIA GeForce 1070 (from the 970M previously). How much of a difference does this make? We’re about to find out.

Before we jump into that conversation, however, it’s important to note that, predictably, the P57X cannot maintain full-power operation while running on battery power; we recorded a 3DMark 11 score of 7010 while running unplugged (compared with 8366 originally). On the other hand, the previously mentioned Smart Manager allows GPU overclocking which ranges from “Level 1” up to “Level 5”; at Level 5, Gigabyte claims that performance is boosted by roughly 10% in benchmarks. Our test results seemed consonant with these claims.

LatencyMon showed no issues with real-time audio/video streaming latencies.

CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z RAM SPD
CPU-Z RAM SPD
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
ComputeMark
ComputeMark
LatencyMon
LatencyMon

Processor

We have extensively covered the Core i7-6700HQ here at Notebookcheck, and it’s a common inclusion in modern gaming notebooks. Manufactured using a 14 nm architecture and sporting a 45 W TDP, it features Turbo Boost rates of 3.5 GHz (single-core) and 3.1 GHz (quad-core), which the P57X achieves consistently.

As compared to other notebooks featuring the same CPU, including the previous P57W, the P57X wavered a bit more in our benchmarks, sometimes falling behind by as much as 10%. However, this could just as well be a result of cooling differences, as we did not adjust the fan speeds or overclock the GPU during our normal benchmarks on the machine. Overall, the performance is still very strong—and we will determine later in our review whether thermal or TDP throttling happens to be limiting performance in any way.

Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.77 Points +18%
EVGA SC17
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.75 Points +17%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.67 Points +11%
Gigabyte P57W
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.67 Points +11%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.59 Points +6%
Gigabyte P57X v6
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.5 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
8.63 Points +16%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
Intel Core i7-6820HK
7.73 Points +4%
EVGA SC17
Intel Core i7-6820HK
7.72 Points +4%
Gigabyte P57W
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.46 Points 0%
Gigabyte P57X v6
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.44 Points
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.4 Points -1%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
160 Points +14%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
Intel Core i7-6820HK
152 Points +9%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
141 Points +1%
Gigabyte P57W
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
140 Points 0%
Gigabyte P57X v6
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
140 Points
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
139 Points -1%
EVGA SC17
Intel Core i7-6820HK
136 Points -3%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
789 Points +24%
EVGA SC17
Intel Core i7-6820HK
710 Points +12%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
Intel Core i7-6820HK
707 Points +11%
Gigabyte P57W
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
675 Points +6%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
669 Points +5%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
656 Points +3%
Gigabyte P57X v6
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
635 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Gigabyte P57X v6
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
374.4 s *
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
233.1 s * +38%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
Intel Core i7-6820HK
229.2 s * +39%
EVGA SC17
Intel Core i7-6820HK
224.8 s * +40%
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
636 s * -15%
EVGA SC17
Intel Core i7-6820HK
569 s * -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
Intel Core i7-6820HK
556 s * -1%
Gigabyte P57X v6
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
553 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.5 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
7.44 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
67.1 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
140 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
635 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
102 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

We use PCMark 8 for synthetic testing of general system performance, and here, the P57X falls right in line where we’d expect. As compared to the P57W, it’s within the margin of error in all three of the primary PCMark 8 performance tests—that is, it performs quite well. Meanwhile, machines leveraging a full-blown NVMe storage configuration, such as the Asus G752VS, manage significantly better results thanks to the greatly enhanced storage speeds these afford. As we’ll see in the next section, the P57X does support NVMe storage—it just didn’t come configured with such a device in this instance.

Subjectively, we had no issues with performance during our time with the P57X. We did find that automatic power plan switching to be an irritation from time to time, but that feature is easily disabled via the included software.

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
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5575 Points +33%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
4952 Points +18%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
4551 Points +8%
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
4206 Points
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
4060 Points -3%
Gigabyte P57W
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G
3946 Points -6%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
3441 Points -18%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5778 Points +15%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
5533 Points +10%
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
5014 Points
Gigabyte P57W
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G
4935 Points -2%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
4906 Points -2%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
4129 Points -18%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
8531 Points +64%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
6871 Points +32%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
6609 Points +27%
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
5192 Points
Gigabyte P57W
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G
4754 Points -8%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
4740 Points -9%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
2303 Points -56%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4206 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5192 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5014 points
Help

Storage Devices

AS SSD (SSD)
AS SSD (SSD)
CrystalDiskMark (SSD)
CrystalDiskMark (SSD)
HD Tune (HDD)
HD Tune (HDD)
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
The M.2 SSD
The M.2 SSD
The hard drive
The hard drive

The P57X configuration we received includes a Transcend MTS800 256 GB M.2 SSD, which—although it populates the NVMe slot—is not an NVMe drive. As our benchmarks reveal, it is in roughly the same class as the LiteOn drive in the P57W, with somewhat slower sequential write performance but considerably quicker 4k write performance in turn. Again, competitors with NVMe drives (Lenovo Y900, EVGA SC17, Asus G752VS) dominate the charts here, with speeds three and four times as fast as the G57X. But for most users, the Transcend’s performance is just fine—and in case it isn’t, upgrading the internal storage drives is easy.

Regarding that last point, the P57X actually provides support for three simultaneous storage devices: one primary NVMe/M.2 SSD, a secondary 2.5-inch SATA drive, and a tertiary drive in the swappable expansion bay using the included 2.5-inch drive adapter. Since most users no longer have use for an optical drive on a regular basis, this is a terrific solution for backups or even just heaps upon heaps of internal storage. It’s also lighter-weight, which is a welcomed bonus.

The downside? RAID-0 isn’t possible (as is the case with competitors such as the Lenovo Y900 and Asus ROG G752VS, both which feature two side-by-side NVMe-capable M.2 slots). However, standalone NVMe storage is really fast enough for nearly every purpose, so this will not constitute a major loss for most users.

Gigabyte P57X v6
Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
EVGA SC17
Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Gigabyte P57W
Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
159%
220%
210%
6%
Read Seq
481.7
1559
224%
2247
366%
1718
257%
491.6
2%
Write Seq
315.4
1254
298%
1534
386%
1305
314%
391.1
24%
Read 512
303.1
850
180%
1113
267%
1250
312%
352.8
16%
Write 512
314.4
1228
291%
1490
374%
1438
357%
371.7
18%
Read 4k
25.93
49.32
90%
52.1
101%
44.42
71%
29.89
15%
Write 4k
84.6
140.3
66%
149.2
76%
154.4
83%
37.75
-55%
Read 4k QD32
273.9
539
97%
635
132%
744
172%
338.7
24%
Write 4k QD32
274.9
345.3
26%
422
54%
578
110%
278
1%
Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
Sequential Read: 481.7 MB/s
Sequential Write: 315.4 MB/s
512K Read: 303.1 MB/s
512K Write: 314.4 MB/s
4K Read: 25.93 MB/s
4K Write: 84.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 273.9 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 274.9 MB/s

GPU Performance

Of course, given acceptably fast performance elsewhere, GPU and gaming performance is the item of true significance here. The single biggest difference between the P57W and P57X is the GPU, which is now a formidable NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Laptop)—the second-fastest single GPU option currently on the market. And it doesn’t disappoint, either, as we’ll see shortly.

The GTX 1070 is manufactured in 16 nm FinFET and features 2048 shaders. It also packs 8 GB of GDDR5 VRAM and a core speed of 1443 – 1645 MHz. It’s truly a desktop GPU in a mobile package. Let’s see what it can accomplish in the P57X:

3DMark
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics
Gigabyte P57X v6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ
8357 Points
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
8104 Points -3%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
5541 Points -34%
EVGA SC17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
4663 Points -44%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
4650 Points -44%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
16757 Points
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ
15718 Points
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
11957 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9888 Points
EVGA SC17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9820 Points
Gigabyte P57W
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
7489 Points
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Gigabyte P57X v6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ
23356 Points
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
22282 Points -5%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ
21228 Points -9%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
13168 Points -44%
EVGA SC17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
12890 Points -45%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
12731 Points -45%
Gigabyte P57W
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
9713 Points -58%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
9914 Points +19%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9842 Points +18%
EVGA SC17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9256 Points +11%
Gigabyte P57X v6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ
8366 Points
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
8338 Points 0%
Gigabyte P57W
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
8175 Points -2%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ
7795 Points -7%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
25589 points
3DMark 11 Performance
16231 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
85198 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
23781 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
7559 points
Help
3DMark 06
3DMark 06
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme

The Gigabyte P57X tops the graphics charts, with performance (slightly) exceeding even that of the Asus G752VS, which packs the same video card. Meanwhile, it positively scorches the P57W, which is relegated to last place in our field in 3DMark 11—a whopping 58% behind the new P57X. Clearly, the upgrade to the NVIDIA Pascal cards pays dividends where it truly matters.

Gaming Performance

Of course, real-world results are what really tell the story, and so we turn to our array of game benchmarks (all performed on Ultra settings, thanks to the superfluity of testing anything lower with such a powerful configuration). Here, the Asus G752VS pulls ahead wherever it’s included, which is to be expected considering its quicker CPU and storage—and its $1,000 higher price tag.

However, the P57X absolutely obliterates the rest of the field—basically, anything lacking a GTX 1070. In Rise of the Tomb Raider, the P57X churned out over twice the frame rate of the P57W, and is (at minimum) 65% ahead of anything packing a Maxwell chipset. This trend continues across all games we benchmarked, with the “worst” performance we recorded just 78 frames per second on Ultra settings in Batman: Arkham Knight. The GTX 1070 truly is an amazing piece of hardware.

Of course, some gamers might consequently regret the absence of a 4K display option, since quite obviously, the GPU can handle it. It’s true that this is a bit of a missed opportunity… but regardless, the P57X still supports HDMI 2.0 video output (for HDCP 2.2 monitors) for 4K video output at 60 Hz—so an external monitor is always an option if 4K gaming is of interest. And on the bright side, it’s safe to say that gaming at native resolution (1080p) on the P57X should be possible on high settings for quite some time to come.

BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) (sort by value)
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
123.8 fps
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
90.2 fps -27%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
105.5 fps -15%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
90.2 fps -27%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
137.1 (34.5min - 271.3max) fps +11%
Metro: Last Light - 1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
99 fps
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
66.8 fps -33%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
82.1 fps -17%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
69.7 fps -30%
Thief - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
88.5 fps
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
62.1 fps -30%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
72.4 fps -18%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
63.7 fps -28%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
101.6 (73.9min - 128.7max) fps +15%
Batman: Arkham Knight - 1920x1080 High / On AA:SM AF:16x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
78 fps
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
51 fps -35%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
62 fps -21%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
50 fps -36%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
117 fps +50%
Fallout 4 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
96 fps
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
57.4 fps -40%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
71.6 fps -25%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
55.5 fps -42%
Rise of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
90 fps
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
50.6 fps -44%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
63.5 fps -29%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
85.5 fps -5%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
54.7 fps -39%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
92.8 (80min - 103max) fps +3%
Gigabyte P57W
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G
37.6 fps -58%
Doom - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:SM (sort by value)
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
104 fps
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
82.3 fps -21%
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
96.5 fps -7%
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 123.8
Metro: Last Light (2013) 99
Thief (2014) 88.5
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 78
Fallout 4 (2015) 96
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 90
Doom (2016) 104

Stress Test

Our stress testing leverages Prime95 (for CPU stress) and FurMark (for GPU stress). Given the increased control over fan speeds on the P57X, we set a custom fan speed control to Automatic 100% Maximum speed during this portion of our testing to grant the notebook the highest chance of avoiding any thermal throttling.

Firstly, during our CPU stress test, clock rates remained nearly consistently perched at 3.1 GHz even after 30 minutes of stress, and the lowest we witnessed any frequency during this period was a momentary dip to 3.0 GHz. Temperatures never exceeded 70 °C (72 °C Core #0) during the entirety of this exercise.

GPU stress results in fluctuating clock rates generally landing in the 1500 MHz range, but again, temperatures are not outrageously high. We measured 74 °C at its peak after roughly 30 minutes of stress, which indicates good stability and the capability of handling lengthy gaming sessions.

Lastly, combined CPU and GPU stress finally produces some serious heat, with the CPU Package Temperature reaching 93 °C at one point, though GPU temperatures remain low at just 79 °C. GPU performance only suffers a little bit even under these conditions, with a dip in frame rates to the upper 60s in a 1080p FurMark session from the 70s previously. In terms of real-world effects, we found little to be concerned about; a 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme run directly following 30 minutes of full CPU and GPU stress saw a nearly identical final score of 7558—just one point below our previous result (7559).

Full CPU stress
Full CPU stress
Full GPU stress
Full GPU stress
CPU + GPU Combined stress
CPU + GPU Combined stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.0 1550 64
FurMark Stress 3.1 1550 74 74
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.1 1550 90 79

Emissions

System Noise

There’s one thing the P57X isn’t: quiet. Although while idling the machine only measured 33.2 dB(A)—against background noise of 29.7 dB(A)—when under load, it’s not afraid to make its presence known. CPU load doesn’t seem to bother it much, and it remains fairly quiet under even heavy processor stress. But strong graphical tasks quickly produce plenty of heat, and that, in turn, means plenty of noise in an effort to cool things down. We measured a load average of 47.5 db(A) and a maximum of 52.5 dB(A), both values which are higher than the entire rest of our comparison field. Of course, the user has control over fan speeds via both manual adjustments and automatic speed limits, so at the risk of losing some performance, it’s easy to throttle it back at bit. It’s also helpful that both fans exhaust to the rear.

System fan noise profile
System fan noise profile

Noise Level

Idle
33.2 / 33.2 / 33.2 dB(A)
Load
47.5 / 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: 29.7 dB(A)
Gigabyte P57X v6
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800)
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Gigabyte P57W
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G
Noise
-2%
-2%
6%
4%
off / environment *
29.7
28.8
3%
31
-4%
30
-1%
30
-1%
Idle Minimum *
33.2
29.4
11%
33
1%
31
7%
32
4%
Idle Average *
33.2
32.4
2%
34
-2%
32
4%
33
1%
Idle Maximum *
33.2
48
-45%
40
-20%
33
1%
37
-11%
Load Average *
47.5
42.5
11%
44
7%
40
16%
37
22%
Load Maximum *
52.5
48.5
8%
50
5%
47
10%
47
10%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Considering the significant noise levels, one would expect reasonable case temperatures. Unfortunately, the Gigabyte’s somewhat shrunken form factor (for a 17.3-inch gaming notebook) comes back to bite it here, too—and the result is temperatures exceeding that of most of its competitors. We measured average temperatures of 37.9 °C and 36.8 °C on top and bottom, respectively, with hot spots of 59 °C and 66 °C across the board. Clearly, not a lot of gaming is likely to be done lap-borne, but even the keyboard sees palpable increases in heat (mostly on its right side) under merely moderate GPU stress—which is sure to be a serious barrier to lengthy gaming sessions for many gamers. Higher fan speeds do assist here, but temperatures remain higher than would be ideal in this critical region of any gaming PC.

The dual-fan assembly
The dual-fan assembly
Thermal profile, top of base unit
Thermal profile, top of base unit
Thermal profile, bottom of unit
Thermal profile, bottom of unit
Max. Load
 32.6 °C
91 F
59 °C
138 F
50 °C
122 F
 
 30.9 °C
88 F
44.4 °C
112 F
48.6 °C
119 F
 
 25.8 °C
78 F
26.2 °C
79 F
23.6 °C
74 F
 
Maximum: 59 °C = 138 F
Average: 37.9 °C = 100 F
44.2 °C
112 F
66 °C
151 F
37.2 °C
99 F
39.2 °C
103 F
37.6 °C
100 F
26.8 °C
80 F
25 °C
77 F
27.6 °C
82 F
27.2 °C
81 F
Maximum: 66 °C = 151 F
Average: 36.8 °C = 98 F
Power Supply (max.)  48 °C = 118 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 37.9 °C / 100 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 59 °C / 138 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 66 °C / 151 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28 °C / 82 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 27.2 °C / 81 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+1.7 °C / 3 F).

Speakers

The Gigabyte P57X features two bottom-mounted speakers on the front end of the notebook with no subwoofer. Volume levels are merely acceptable at a maximum of 72.69 dB. The sound profile is disappointing; low frequencies are hardly represented at all, with the vast majority of the output concentrated in the trebles. Post-processing software is included to help fine-tune the sound, but it only helps slightly.

The internal speakers
The internal speakers
Sound profile analysis
Sound profile analysis
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2037.1362536.4373134.735.74034.5345033.633.8633234.18030.53410032.332.412530.233.616029.838.420030.14325028.245.131527.747.840026.651.550026.552.163025.753.480026.254.3100024.957.8125024.757160025.555.7200024.15525002460.8315023.761.9400023.663.3500023.658.9630023.563.6800023.4651000023.564.71250023.764.41600023.655.5SPL36.872.7N2.829.4median 24.9median 55.5Delta1.5835.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseGigabyte P57X v6Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Gigabyte P57X v6 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 92% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 6% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 81% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 15% 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

Following our review of the P57W, we should hope to expect reasonably frugal power consumption by the P57X, at least, while idling. This is still partially true, but the numbers have slid a bit (to roughly 25% higher consumption on average) even under those conditions, where we measured an average of 22.8 W (versus the P57W’s 17 W). Regardless, this is still well below the demands of competitors such as the Y900 (29.6 W), Acer Predator 17 (35 W), and Asus G752VS (31 W).

Things change once load is placed on the machine, which is when the new GPU really starts to show its teeth—and its roughly 40 W higher TDP than the 970M supplied in the P57W. In fact, our load maximum measurement of 229.5 W is almost precisely 40 W higher than that of the P57W (178 W), and it’s also 25% higher than the Lenovo Y900’s 171.4 W. Other notebooks featuring the same GPU are within 11% of this value.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 4.5 / 4.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 18.4 / 22.8 / 24 Watt
Load midlight 175.5 / 229.5 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.
Gigabyte P57X v6
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 (TS256GMTS800), IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
6820HK, GeForce GTX 980M, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2, , 1920x1080, 17.30
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7, IPS, 3840x2160, 17.30
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Gigabyte P57W
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 970M, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Power Consumption
-5%
-28%
-12%
29%
Idle Minimum *
18.4
24.3
-32%
25
-36%
24
-30%
11
40%
Idle Average *
22.8
29.6
-30%
35
-54%
31
-36%
17
25%
Idle Maximum *
24
29.9
-25%
46
-92%
36
-50%
22
8%
Load Average *
175.5
110.1
37%
103
41%
94
46%
85
52%
Load Maximum *
229.5
171.4
25%
223
3%
204
11%
178
22%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Although battery life is hardly the most important aspect of a high-powered gaming notebook, it’s still useful to determine how long the machine can survive on an average charge. During the BatteryEater Pro “Classic Test”, the P57 lasted just 1 hour and 40 minutes—probably a relatively fair estimate of how much gaming you could accomplish (with aforementioned reduced performance due to GPU utilization/power consumption caps) while unplugged. Meanwhile, the more practical Wi-Fi Surfing benchmark resulted in a runtime of 3 hours and 21 minutes, which—while certainly nothing special overall—in context with other machines sporting Pascal cards of similar TDP, it’s right in line.

Classic Test
Classic Test
Surfing with Wi-Fi
Surfing with Wi-Fi
The internal battery
The internal battery
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
6h 58min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 21min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 43min
Gigabyte P57X v6
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 75.81 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad Y900
6820HK, GeForce GTX 980M, 90 Wh
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 83 Wh
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 88 Wh
EVGA SC17
6820HK, GeForce GTX 980M, 74.48 Wh
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 90 Wh
Gigabyte P57W
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 970M, 75.81 Wh
Battery Runtime
13%
-8%
-16%
-17%
-13%
24%
Reader / Idle
418
349
-17%
323
-23%
278
-33%
310
-26%
311
-26%
460
10%
WiFi v1.3
201
248
23%
221
10%
200
0%
206
2%
210
4%
334
66%
Load
103
136
32%
93
-10%
89
-14%
76
-26%
84
-18%
99
-4%

Pros

+ stunning GPU performance
+ solid overall system performance
+ relatively affordable given its capabilities
+ display features good contrast and brightness
+ useful system management software
+ lighter and smaller than average for its class
+ convenient expansion bay for third storage drive

Cons

- unfortunate heat development under moderate stress
- integrated touchpad buttons are practically unusable
- entirely plastic casing
- display only 1080p resolution
- relatively noisy operation

Verdict

The Gigabyte P57X v6
The Gigabyte P57X v6

Although it’s nearly identical to its P57W predecessor, Gigabyte’s P57X v6 rockets to the top of the gaming charts with the help of the magnificent NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU. For a relatively manageable $1,999, we have one of the fastest gaming notebooks on the planet (at least, when it comes to gaming demands), capable of playing handling modern games at 1080p on the highest settings with fluid frame rates, and via its HDMI 2.0 connectivity, able to power 4K gaming on a compatible external monitor without too much difficulty.

On top of that, we still get the same powerful configuration surrounding the new GPU, including an Intel Core i7-6700HQ quad-core CPU, 16 GB DDR4-2133 RAM, a dual storage configuration featuring a 256 GB M.2 SSD and a 1 TB 7200 RPM storage drive, and finally, a 1080p IPS anti-glare display. Gigabyte has also made maintenance and upgrades easy, with nearly every component replaceable from the bottom. Users demanding even more speed can opt for an NVMe SSD to replace the conventional M.2 with which the machine ships, and they can even add a third storage drive by way of the included HDD adapter, which can be swapped into the front-mounted expansion bay quickly and easily, replacing the preinstalled DVD-RAM drive.

The P57X also does a great job of including useful software to facilitate control over the machine’s cooling system and GPU overclocking, alongside handy driver update software and a few other standout bonuses (LCD color temperature controls, USB recovery media creation, etc.).

Obviously, when you shrink down such a powerful gaming notebook—and work to keep the price below $2,000, to boot—there are going to be some compromises. These manifest in the form of the P57X’s predominantly plastic construction and unfortunate heat development, which quickly overtakes the right half of the keyboard during even moderate gaming sessions and regardless of fan speed configuration. It’s also a pretty noisy device, even though both fans are rear-mounted (which helps somewhat). Power consumption is predictably much higher than the P57W’s, and battery life (as marginal its importance may be on a gaming notebook) suffers accordingly. Finally, the touchpad is positively awful for all but the most trivial tasks, so have your external mouse handy at all times.

Some will also decry the exclusion of a 4K display option, but ultimately, it’s hardly a deal-breaker. It’s nice to have a notebook that can easily chew through any task you throw at it running at native resolution, and based on our benchmarks, that isn’t likely to change for some time to come. 4K gaming is still possible via external monitors (as we mentioned above).

Ultimately, the P57X is a no-nonsense, high-power gaming notebook which focuses its efforts primarily on functionality, portability, and (relatively speaking) affordability. If budget is not an issue and weight doesn’t bother you, you can do better elsewhere. Otherwise, in spite of its lackadaisical input devices, suboptimal thermal development, and omission of a 4K display, the P57X is an absolute beast—and it’ll be able to game at highest settings and native resolution for a while yet to come.

Gigabyte P57X v6 - 10/03/2016 v5.1(old)
Steve Schardein

Chassis
74 / 98 → 76%
Keyboard
79%
Pointing Device
67%
Connectivity
68 / 81 → 84%
Weight
55 / 10-66 → 80%
Battery
73%
Display
86%
Games Performance
96%
Application Performance
91%
Temperature
81 / 95 → 85%
Noise
69 / 90 → 77%
Audio
60%
Camera
69 / 85 → 81%
Average
75%
83%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Steve Schardein, 2016-09-27 (Update: 2020-06- 8)