Guru Mars K (Clevo P775DM3-G) Laptop Review

The manufacturer uses a barebone chassis from Clevo. The P775DM3-G reminds us of the chassis P775DM1 we reviewed in 2015 in the Schenker XMG U716, but there are some changes. Clevo repositioned the fingerprint-scanner and the number as well as layout of the ports changed, for example. There are also some structural changes inside the case, especially for the cooling system (less heat pipes, different layout). All in all, we would still call it a small update, so the same advantages/disadvantages of the XMG U716 apply here as well.

The P775DM3-G is rather functional in terms of quality. Clevo hardly uses any aluminum at all, but both the lid and the base unit are made of plastic. You can criticize this decision, but you don't have to. The chassis is very stable and pressure-resistant, even without any metal, and the plastic surfaces have advantages in terms of subjective temperature perception. Some elements could have cleaner finishes, but the build quality is still decent. The only thing we did not like was the unpleasant creaking when we tried to twist the lid.

The 17-inch system was designed as a desktop replacement, so the portability is very poor compared to some other gaming laptops. We do not want to carry around 4.2 kg all the time, although both the MSI GT75VR 7RF (4.6 kg) and the Schenker XMG U727 (5.0 kg) are even heavier. The notebook's height is a bit above average at 4.1 cm, so the handling (bending of the wrists) can suffer a bit depending on the seating position. In short: The favored place for the system should be your desk at home. It is – as always – a matter of taste whether you like the subtle design or not. Clevo added some silver stripes and distinctive speaker and fan grilles, respectively.

The port selection has probably seen the biggest change since the previous barebone generation. The old P775DM1 was already equipped with a Thunderbolt 3 port, but instead of four, you now get a total of five USB ports (4x 3.0 Type-A, 1x 3.1 Type-C Gen. 2), and the video outputs were improved as well. You now get two Mini-DisplayPorts instead of two regular DisplayPorts, but the HDMI port is still available. Otherwise, there are only some layout adjustments. There are still four stereo jacks, a 6-in-1 card reader, RJ45, a slot for a Kensington lock as well as the power input. The port layout is generally good, only the ports at the left could have been further towards the back, especially when you use a mouse.

The new P775DM3-G is once again equipped with a very fast card reader, which even manages higher transfer rates than before and beats the rivals when we copy pictures. Only the Schenker XMG U727 and the Asus G701VIK can keep up, but the MSI GT75VR-7RF and the Acer Predator 17 X only reach USB 3.0 speeds.

Wired network connections (Gigabit LAN) are handled by the popular notebook-chip Killer E2400, while you can choose between an Intel adapter (Wireless-AC 8265 or 3165) or the Killer module Wireless-AC 1535 for wireless connectivity. The latter also supports all common WLAN standards including ac and Bluetooth. Our test model is equipped with the Wireless-AC 8265, which is a 15-Euro (~$17) upgrade. However, the range test only shows average results. Around 406 Mbps (send) and 389 Mbps (receive) are comparatively bad. The first three spots are occupied by laptops equipped with the Killer Wireless-AC 1535.

Guru ships the laptop with a manual, driver's DVD, and screws or covers for the 2.5-inch slots, respectively. You also get a Windows 10 key when you order an operating system or a Windows DVD (for the SBL version). Our test model also included the retail box of the ordered SSD. The power adapter is a very bulky 330-W model, which tips the scale at more than 1.2 kg.

As per usual for Clevo barebones, the maintainability is excellent. There are two dedicated hatches at the bottom, which are easy to remove with a screwdriver. These hatches cover most of the hardware. While most gaming laptops are equipped with soldered CPUs & GPUs nowadays, you can replace all the important parts on the Mars K. Accessing the graphics card and the processor, however, requires disassembly of the cooling solution. It consists of five heat pipes and two large fans.

The maintenance hatches also reveal two M.2 slots (for SATA-III or PCIe/NVMe-SSDs) and two 2.5-inch slots. Only two out of four RAM slots are accessible; Clevo hid the other two and the wireless module underneath the keyboard (also removable). Clevo deserves praise for the battery, which can be removed from the outside – very handy and not a matter of course anymore. There is a support foot on the battery though, so the 17-inch system will wobble without the battery.

The warranty period is 24 or 36 months. Both options include a premium support with return service according to the Guru homepage. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Considering the GPU performance of the GeForce GTX 1070 and GTX 1080, it is a bit annoying that Gaming Guru only offers the Mars K with a 75 Hz 1080p display. According to the Clevo homepage, the P775DM3-G barebone is also available with a 120 Hz QHD panel and a 60 Hz UHD panel.

There is no criticism for the viewing-angle stability of the Mars K. Thanks to the IPS technology the picture is hardly affected from other angles. The response times are typical for an IPS panel. 26.4 ms black-to-white and 37.6 ms gray-to-gray are average for a gaming notebook. That the display flickers below the maximum luminance should not be an issue for sensitive users thanks to the high frequency.

Socketed CPU? Check. Replaceable GPU? Check. Up to 64 GB DDR4-RAM and up to four storage drives? Check. The Mars K could be a full-fledged desktop PC according to the specs. Thanks to the high-end hardware, the 17-inch system is amongst the most powerful and feature-heavy desktop replacements on the market, and it should provide plenty of performance for the upcoming generation of games.

Our test model is powered by the Core i7-7700 (without K for free multiplier). The quad-core from Intel's Kaby Lake series runs at 3.6-4.2 GHz under load, which easily surpasses the popular notebook sibling Core i7-7700HQ (2.8-3.8 GHz).

Thanks to the high clocks, the Mars K can usually beat the gaming rivals in the CPU tests. Even one of the fastest mobile chips, Intel's Core i7-7820HK, is beaten by more than 10% in Cinebench R15 and R11.5. Both the Asus G701VIK and the Acer Predator 17 X are already overclocked to 4.3 GHz by default, which explains their small advantage. A standard Core i7-7700K (without OC) is about 8-12% faster than the Core i7-7700.

You can use the full potential of the CPU as long as the GPU is not stressed simultaneously. Our Cinebench loop (Multi-Core test for at least 30 minutes) does not show any performance hits and is executed with a steady clock of 4.0 GHz.

The overall system performance is just as good as the CPU power. Thanks to the powerful components, the test model can secure the second spot in the PCMarks, and it is even at the top in PCMark 10. Subjectively, Windows 10 (it does not matter if boot speed, response time, or loading times in games) runs extremely smooth. The main reason for the good impression is the PCIe-SSD.

The secondary storage drive is a 2.5-inch hard drive with a capacity of 2 TB. Despite the low speed of 5,400 rpm, the Seagate drive (ST2000LM015) manages sequential transfer rates of more than 130 MB/s, which is not bad for an HDD.

MXM technology or not: The GPUs have similar specs compared to their soldered siblings. While the GeForce GTX 1060 will reach its limits at the native 1080p resolution, you have much more headroom for maximum details and quality improvements (anti-aliasing etc.) with the GeForce GTX 1070 or GTX 1080, respectively.

You should get Nvidia's high-end model if you want to play all upcoming games at the highest settings possible. The GTX 1080 has 2560 shaders as well as 8 GB GDDR5X memory attached via 256-bit interface. The core can reach 1582-1771 MHz under load, but Nvidia's Pascal chips can automatically increase the frequency further if the cooling is sufficient. The render test of the tool GPU-Z determined up to 1900 MHz, and the GTX 1080 leveled off at a respectable 1785 MHz in Unigine Heaven 4.0.

The Mars K has no problems keeping up with the rivals in the GPU benchmarks. All the GTX 1080 laptops are within a range of 10% in 3DMark 11 and the 3DMark 13 Fire Strike test.

The next test is our The Witcher 3 graph, which simulates sustained workloads by challenging 3D applications (in this case with Ultra preset @1080p). The frame rate drops from 76 to ~66 FPS in the beginning of our one-hour test, but there is no throttling. The performance drop is a result of the decreased Turbo range (CPU: ~3.6 GHz; GPU: ~1770 MHz).

Modern games will run smoothly at the highest settings as long as you stick to the native 1080p resolution. The high 2- or 3-digit results in our benchmark table show that a 120 Hz panel would have paid off – at least in combination with the GTX 1080.

Even an external 4K monitor is usually no obstacle for the Mars K. Only very challenging and/or poorly optimized titles like PUBG and Ark Survival Evolved require reduced details at 3840x2160 pixels. A QHD panel (2560x1440 pixels) would be the perfect fit for the GTX 1070.

The Mars K also gets louder than some of the gaming rivals at 45-55 dB(A) – despite its thick construction. However, none of the GTX 1080 notebooks can be called quiet.

Here we can see the effect of the high TDPs from processor and graphics chip. The cooling system – even such a big one – reaches its limits.

The Mars K deserves praise for its convenient sound system. Okay, you can notice drawbacks compared to good headsets or an external solution (the sound is pretty tinny, high tones tend to distort, etc.), but the result is rich and powerful for a notebook – independent of the maximum volume.

The 2.1 system consists of two speakers and one subwoofer and benefits a lot from the audio software Sound Blaster X-Fi MB5, which optimizes the sound noticeably. Thanks to multiple profiles, you can adjust the sound based on the content. There are settings for music, movie, voice and several gaming genres. All in all, the sound quality is on par with the Dynaudio system in the MSI GT75VR 7RF.

Frequency comparison (checkboxes select/deselectable!)

The Mars K supports Nvidia's G-Sync technology (creates a smoother picture), so it has to waive switchable graphics. This has a big effect on the power consumption and the battery runtime. The desktop hardware itself does not affect the measurements too much though. MSI's GT75VR 7RF consumes more power than the Guru Mars K in some scenarios, despite the mobile CPU. 31-44 W while idling and 116-312 W under load is still a lot for a notebook.

Longer road trips are not only prevented by the heavy chassis but also by the meager runtimes. The battery capacity of 82 Wh is not bad (the rivals offer between 75 and 93 Wh), but the 17-inch test model only lasts 3:20 hours while idling at the minimum luminance. Movie playback is possible for 2:33 hours at an adjusted luminance of 150 nits.

The gaming laptop has to be recharged after less than 2 hours if you use the full luminance and stress the system. However, we should note that most rivals are not better in this respect. All the results combined sit between the Asus G701VIK/Acer Predator 17 X (longer runtime) and the MSI GT75VR 7RF. The latter is the device with the least stamina here.