Notebookcheck Logo

Maingear Pulse 17

Specifications

Maingear Pulse 17
Maingear Pulse 17 (Pulse Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-4700HQ 4 x 2.4 - 3.4 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, glossy: no
Weight
2.7 kg ( = 95.24 oz / 5.95 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
1800 Euro
Sold in
Anglo-America

 

Price comparison

Average Score: 73.33% - average
Average of 3 scores (from 4 reviews)

Reviews for the Maingear Pulse 17

70% Maingear Pulse 17
Source: Maximum PC English Archive.org version
Where the iBuypower laptop really has the advantage over the Maingear, however, is in price. At $2,400, the Pulse 17 costs a whopping $540 more with very similar specs. Yowza! The added expense likely comes down to the custom paint job that Maingear offers, and the company’s two-year warranty program versus the one-year warranty that iBuypower provides.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/27/2014
Rating: Total score: 70%
Maingear Pulse 17 Gaming Notebook Review
Source: PC Perspective English Archive.org version
While the Pulse 17 is significantly more portable than the G750JX, you really have to be concerned about weight and size to spend at least an extra $550 on a laptop which ends up performing worse. The ability to customize the laptop may add value for some people, but it's an impossible case to make from purely a performance standpoint.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/14/2014
70% Maingear Pulse 17
Source: Laptop Mag English Archive.org version
The road to a truly portable 17.3-inch gaming laptop is paved with false starts, almost-theres and just-missed-its. However, the Pulse 17 is definitely on the right track: It's not only svelte and gorgeous, but packs a lot of power as well. The $2,347 configuration houses a Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M GPU with a searing SSD and pretty 1080p display -- all in a chassis that' s only 0.85 inches thick.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/06/2014
Rating: Total score: 70%
80% Maingear Pulse 17
Source: Comp Reviews English Archive.org version
The Maingear Pulse 17 is essentially a rebadged MSI GS70 laptop but that isn't necessarily a bad thin as it is extremely thin and light for a 17-inch laptop and still quite capable for PC gaming. It does carry a higher price tag but those that either want to customize their laptop with a little color or extra SSD space have that option albeit at a price.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 03/13/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%

Comment

Model:

The Maingear Pulse 17 is a player in the high-end gaming laptop market. Those looking for a customizable, powerful laptop should definitely consider it. You can get a beautiful paint job to stand out from the crowd of other gaming laptops if you add extra money.

Its 17.3-inch matte screen has a matte 1920 x 1080 resolution and good enough brightness and colors for all your gaming needs. Everything looks sharp and with its anti-reflective coating, using it outdoors is not that much of a pain to your eyes.

It's powered by a 4th generation i7 processor running at 2.4 GHz up to 3.4 GHz. The processor is the higher voltage variant, which delivers more performance than those found in ultrabooks. It's accompanied with 16GB of RAM for all your multitasking needs. Equipped with both an SSD and HDD, you get performance and capacity. The star is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M with 2 GB GDDR5 graphics card. You can play most if not all current games with this powerful card.

One of the biggest selling points is that it only weighs 2.72 kg and is only 0.86 inch (2.18 cm) thick. This means is not bulky and can fit comfortably in most bags. The 60 Wh battery that supplies juice to the powerful innards should last you roughly around 4-5 hours of mixed use. The Pulse 17 is a great choice for power and portability.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M:

High-End Graphics cards as part of the Geforce 700M series based on the Kepler architecture.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.


Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops.  


4700HQ: Haswell-based quad-core processor clocked at 2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 3.4 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4600 GPU and a dual channel DDR3 memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.


17.30": This display size is a standard format for desktop replacements (DTR). The DTR laptops are heavier to carry, need more power, but texts are easy to read and high resolutions are no problem. DTR are mainly intended for stationary desk use, where weight and energy hunger don't matter. In return, you enjoy the advantages of high resolutions (more details, better legibility).» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.


2.7 kg:

With this weight, a laptop is rather heavier than average. Devices in this range shine more with screen size and performance than with mobility.


Maingear: US-American computer manufacturer, founded in 2002 with low international relevance.


73.33%: This rating is poor. More than three quarters of the models are rated better. That is rather not a purchase recommendation. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.


» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

 

Please share our article, every link counts!
Mail Logo

Similar devices from a different Manufacturer

MSI GS70-2OD-001US
GeForce GTX 765M
MSI GS70-2OD-002US
GeForce GTX 765M

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

MSI GS70-2OD-061NL
GeForce GTX 765M, Core i7 4700MQ

Devices with the same GPU and/or Screen Size

Asus G750JW-NH71
GeForce GTX 765M, Core i7 4700HQ, 4.8 kg
Gigabyte P27K
GeForce GTX 765M, Core i7 4700MQ, 3.2 kg

Devices with Same Screen Size and/or Weight

Maingear ML-16 MK2
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, Meteor Lake-H Ultra 7 155H, 16.00", 2.109 kg

Devices from the same Manufacturer

Maingear Pulse 15
GeForce GTX 870M, Core i7 4710HQ, 15.60", 1.7 kg
Maingear Pulse 14 2014
GeForce GTX 850M, Core i7 4702MQ, 14.00", 1.9 kg
Current Prices
Stefan Hinum, 2014-03-19 (Update: 2014-03-19)