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MagyarMaingear Vector Pro MG-VCP17 laptop review: 165 W GeForce RTX 3080 for ultrathin size
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The Vector Pro is an ultra-thin 17.3-inch gaming laptop from the custom PC builder Maingear. It's an ultrathin high-performance system in the same vein as the MSI GS75, Razer Blade Pro, Asus Zephyrus S17, or Dell Alienware x17 series.
Our test unit has been fully configured with the 11th gen Core i7-11800H CPU, 165 W GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, and 165 Hz 1440p IPS display for approximately $2500 USD retail. Lesser SKUs to be made available with the RTX 3070 for lower starting prices.
It's worth mentioning that the Vector Pro utilizes a white label Tongfang chassis. Thus, users can find very similar designs and features from other resellers (Eluktronics, CyberPowerPC, Schenker, etc.) including the Schenker XMG Neo 17 or XMG Core 17.
potential competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87.8 % | 09/2021 | Maingear Vector Pro MG-VCP17 i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | 2.3 kg | 19.81 mm | 17.30" | 2560x1440 | |
| 90.1 % | 07/2021 | Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD i9-11900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | 2.8 kg | 19.9 mm | 17.30" | 2560x1440 | |
| 83.9 % | 06/2021 | Schenker XMG Core 17 (Early 2021) i7-10870H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 2.5 kg | 30.05 mm | 17.30" | 2560x1440 | |
| 85.1 % | 01/2021 | Schenker XMG Neo 17 (Early 2021, RTX 3070, 5800H) R7 5800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 2.5 kg | 27 mm | 17.30" | 2560x1440 | |
| 84 % | 12/2020 | Schenker Compact 17 i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile | 2.9 kg | 29.9 mm | 17.30" | 3840x2160 | |
| 83.7 % | 07/2020 | MSI GS75 10SF-609US i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q | 2.3 kg | 18.9 mm | 17.30" | 1920x1080 |
Case
The chassis may not be as flashy as an Asus Zephyrus S or MSI GS75, but it certainly feels stronger and more rigid. The base doesn't yield or creak when attempting to twist its corners for strong first impressions. The lid and hinges, however, could have been stiffer to reduce teetering when adjusting angles. The thicker Asus ROG Strix laptops have larger hinges for a better sense of longevity.
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under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1,000 USD/Euros, for University Students, Best Displays
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Smartphones, Phablets, ≤6-inch, Camera Smartphones
Dimensions are nearly identical to the Razer Blade Pro. Weight, however, is almost half a kilogram lighter in favor of the Maingear. The lack of a vapor chamber cooler in the Maingear is likely responsible for the lighter weight.
Connectivity
Port options are nearly identical to the Tongfang GM7ZG7S or GM7MG0R but with one notable exception: our Maingear chassis integrates a MicroSD reader instead of a full-size one. Thunderbolt 4 is natively supported via the Intel chipset unlike on AMD-powered laptops.
Unfortunately, the laptop cannot be recharged via USB-C even after testing out multiple USB-C adapters.
SD Card Reader
Transfer rates are average from the integrated MicroSD reader. Moving 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 14 seconds compared to less than half that on the MSI GS75.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| MSI GS75 10SF-609US (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| Schenker Compact 17 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 17 (Early 2021, RTX 3070, 5800H) (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Maingear Vector Pro MG-VCP17 (AV Pro V60) | |
| Schenker XMG Core 17 (Early 2021) (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| MSI GS75 10SF-609US (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| Schenker Compact 17 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 17 (Early 2021, RTX 3070, 5800H) (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Maingear Vector Pro MG-VCP17 (AV Pro V60) | |
| Schenker XMG Core 17 (Early 2021) (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Communication
| Networking | |
| iperf3 Client (transmit) 1 m 4M x10 Netgear AX12 | |
| Schenker XMG Core 17 (Early 2021) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 17 (Early 2021, RTX 3070, 5800H) | |
| Schenker Compact 17 | |
| MSI GS75 10SF-609US | |
| Maingear Vector Pro MG-VCP17 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| iperf3 Client (receive) 1 m 4M x10 Netgear AX12 | |
| Schenker XMG Core 17 (Early 2021) | |
| Maingear Vector Pro MG-VCP17 | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 17 (Early 2021, RTX 3070, 5800H) | |
| MSI GS75 10SF-609US | |
| Schenker Compact 17 | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
Webcam
While there is IR for Windows Hello compatibility, the 720p webcam integrates no privacy shutter.
Maintenance
The bottom panel pops off fairly easily after removing the ten Philips screws underneath. Owners have direct access to the battery, both M.2 2280 slots, both RAM slots, and the WLAN module.
Accessories and Warranty
There are no extras in the retail box other than the AC adapter, paperwork, and a couple of Maingear logo stickers. The standard one-year limited warranty applies with extension options from Maingear.
Input Devices
Keyboard
Key feedback and travel could have been firmer and deeper especially for a gaming laptop. Though not as light or shallow as a cheap Asus VivoBook, more give on the keys could have improved the gaming and typing experience. Feedback is more comparable to an Asus Zephyrus than on an MSI GT or GS model.
Touchpad
The clickpad is a bit smaller than the one on the Razer Blade Pro (13.3 x 7.5 cm vs. 13 x 8 cm). Feedback, however, is stronger and not as spongy on the Maingear.
Display
Our Vector Pro uses the same NE173QHM-NY2 IPS panel from BOE as found on the Schenker XMG Core 17 meaning both laptops share similar display attributes. Response times are fast with good brightness, contrast levels, and refresh rates to represent a high-end 1440p panel designed for gaming. BOE has a newer NE173QHM-NY3 panel with even faster response times and better colors as found on the Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703 and so it's a bit disappointing that our Maingear is using an older version.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 389.7 cd/m²
Contrast: 829:1 (Black: 0.47 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.93 | 0.59-29.43 Ø5.4, calibrated: 1.31
ΔE Greyscale 2.4 | 0.64-98 Ø5.7
71.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
70.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.12
| Maingear Vector Pro MG-VCP17 BOE NE173QHM-NY2, IPS, 17.30, 2560x1440 | Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD BOE099D (BOE CQ NE173QHM-NY3), IPS, 17.30, 2560x1440 | Schenker XMG Core 17 (Early 2021) BOE CQ NE173QHM-NY2, IPS, 17.30, 2560x1440 | Schenker XMG Neo 17 (Early 2021, RTX 3070, 5800H) BOE NE173QHM-NY2 (BOE0977), IPS, 17.30, 2560x1440 | Schenker Compact 17 AU Optronics B173ZAN03.0, IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160 | MSI GS75 10SF-609US Sharp LQ173M1JW05, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 17% | -3% | 0% | 19% | 4% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 70.7 | 94.2 33% | 68.08 -4% | 70.46 0% | 84.43 19% | 75.55 7% |
| sRGB Coverage | 99.4 | 98.7 -1% | 98.46 -1% | 99.47 0% | 99.9 1% | 99.78 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 71.7 | 84.4 18% | 69.35 -3% | 71.85 0% | 98.04 37% | 75.05 5% |
| Response Times | 51% | 5% | 5% | -197% | 57% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 15.6 ? | 4.8 69% | 16.8 ? -8% | 16.8 ? -8% | 51 ? -227% | 5 ? 68% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 12 ? | 8 33% | 10 ? 17% | 10 ? 17% | 32 ? -167% | 6.6 ? 45% |
| PWM Frequency | ||||||
| Screen | -11% | -7% | 4% | -40% | 3% | |
| Brightness middle | 389.7 | 322 -17% | 370 -5% | 410 5% | 437 12% | 299.4 -23% |
| Brightness | 363 | 288 -21% | 333 -8% | 381 5% | 413 14% | 299 -18% |
| Brightness Distribution | 84 | 72 -14% | 84 0% | 88 5% | 88 5% | 84 0% |
| Black Level * | 0.47 | 0.3 36% | 0.38 19% | 0.37 21% | 0.6 -28% | 0.31 34% |
| Contrast | 829 | 1073 29% | 974 17% | 1108 34% | 728 -12% | 966 17% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.93 | 3.05 -58% | 2.41 -25% | 2.55 -32% | 4.28 -122% | 1.82 6% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.84 | 5.23 24% | 7.32 -7% | 4.33 37% | 7.65 -12% | 3.91 43% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.31 | 1.92 -47% | 1.19 9% | 1.28 2% | 3.41 -160% | 1.59 -21% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.4 | 3.11 -30% | 3.9 -63% | 3.4 -42% | 3.8 -58% | 2.7 -13% |
| Gamma | 2.12 104% | 2.13 103% | 2.287 96% | 2.275 97% | 2.49 88% | 2.18 101% |
| CCT | 6658 98% | 6553 99% | 7302 89% | 6637 98% | 7363 88% | 6837 95% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 84 | 69 | 72 | 87 | 67.1 | |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 99 | 93 | 95 | 100 | 99.8 | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 19% /
4% | -2% /
-4% | 3% /
3% | -73% /
-50% | 21% /
11% |
* ... smaller is better
Color space covers sRGB entirely and approximately 72 percent of AdobeRGB. Higher resolution 4K IPS panels tend to offer deeper colors albeit at the cost of slower refresh rates and response times.
Colors and grayscale are fairly accurate out of the box suggesting no end-user tinkering is really necessary. Nonetheless, our own calibration with an X-Rite colorimeter would improve average grayscale values just slightly across the board.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 12 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 5.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.8 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 18 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (23.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 15.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 8.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 7.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.8 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 16 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (37.5 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 52 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 20897 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Outdoor visibility is better than on most 17.3-inch gaming laptops since maximum brightness is closer to 400 nits instead of the usual 300 nits. You'll still want to avoid direct sunlight, however, or else the screen will wash out.
Performance
The Maingear squeezes in a 165 W GeForce RTX 3080 GPU despite its compact design to be similar to the GPU as found on the thicker Schenker XMG Ultra 17 in terms of target TGP. Resizable Bar, Dynamic Boost 2.0, and WhisperMode 2.0 are all supported while Advanced Optimus and internal G-Sync are not. Thus, a manual switch is available via the Maingear NODE Control Center software to toggle between dGPU mode (i.e., full GPU performance mode) or Optimus mode. We recommend users become familiar with this software as many system-specific settings and LED features are toggled here.
Our system was set to Turbo mode and dGPU mode prior to running any performance benchmarks below for the highest possible scores.
Processor
CPU performance is excellent and where we expect it to be relative to other laptops equipped with the same processor. Users upgrading from an older Core i7-10750H or Core i7-10875H laptop will see a performance boost of roughly 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively. The competing Ryzen 7 5800H is slightly faster in multi-threaded loads while being slightly slower in single-threaded loads than our Core i7-11800H.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender 2.79: BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.3: 64 Bit Single-Core Score | 64 Bit Multi-Core Score
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
| PCMark 10 Score | 7286 points | |
Help | ||
DPC Latency
LatencyMon shows minor DPC latency issues when opening multiple browser tabs on our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise smooth and with no dropped frames.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 17 (Early 2021, RTX 3070, 5800H) | |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD | |
| Schenker XMG Core 17 (Early 2021) | |
| Schenker Compact 17 | |
| Maingear Vector Pro MG-VCP17 | |
| MSI GS75 10SF-609US | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our test unit comes with a Samsung PM9A1 which is the manufacturer's premier PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD for consumers. Sequential read and write rates approach 7000 MB/s and 5200 MB/s, respectively, to be about 2x faster than on the Samsung PM981a series commonly found on previous generation flagship laptops.
| Maingear Vector Pro MG-VCP17 Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR | Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703HSD Samsung PM9A1 MZVL22T0HBLB | Schenker XMG Core 17 (Early 2021) Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB | Schenker XMG Neo 17 (Early 2021, RTX 3070, 5800H) Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB | Schenker Compact 17 Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB | MSI GS75 10SF-609US WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS SSD | 7% | -38% | -28% | -28% | -50% | |
| Seq Read | 5366.88 | 5085 -5% | 2875.85 -46% | 3019.89 -44% | 2879.15 -46% | 2326.96 -57% |
| Seq Write | 3965.48 | 4434 12% | 2802.79 -29% | 2631.23 -34% | 2841.56 -28% | 2479.16 -37% |
| 4K Read | 79.92 | 80.35 1% | 55.33 -31% | 60.35 -24% | 51.64 -35% | 45.46 -43% |
| 4K Write | 194.21 | 214.69 11% | 106.9 -45% | 171.59 -12% | 142.48 -27% | 157.4 -19% |
| 4K-64 Read | 2683.94 | 2572.6 -4% | 1662.47 -38% | 1410.3 -47% | 1671.97 -38% | 1049.71 -61% |
| 4K-64 Write | 3335.39 | 2972.36 -11% | 2101.1 -37% | 2324.17 -30% | 2292.59 -31% | 938.15 -72% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.027 | 0.018 33% | 0.067 -148% | 0.045 -67% | 0.034 -26% | 0.076 -181% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.066 | 0.02 70% | 0.037 44% | 0.024 64% | 0.027 59% | 0.071 -8% |
| Score Read | 3301 | 3161 -4% | 2005 -39% | 1773 -46% | 2012 -39% | 1328 -60% |
| Score Write | 3926 | 3631 -8% | 2488 -37% | 2759 -30% | 2719 -31% | 1343 -66% |
| Score Total | 8847 | 8380 -5% | 5520 -38% | 5429 -39% | 5760 -35% | 3366 -62% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 2579.16 | 3238.69 26% | 2028.86 -21% | 2383.4 -8% | 3091.91 20% | |
| Copy Program MB/s | 1132.84 | 898.63 -21% | 691.17 -39% | 602.86 -47% | 733.08 -35% | |
| Copy Game MB/s | 2161.44 | 2171.21 0% | 1513.01 -30% | 872.5 -60% | 1682.7 -22% | |
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | 1% | -32% | -28% | -31% | -37% | |
| Write 4K | 227.2 | 244.2 7% | 145.7 -36% | 206.1 -9% | 167.8 -26% | 177.9 -22% |
| Read 4K | 89 | 89.8 1% | 51.34 -42% | 53 -40% | 53.48 -40% | 47.42 -47% |
| Write Seq | 4256 | 3036 -29% | 3018 -29% | 3073 -28% | 2707 -36% | |
| Read Seq | 4364 | 2837 -35% | 2575 -41% | 2488 -43% | 2369 -46% | |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 614.4 | 606.77 -1% | 510.7 -17% | 535.2 -13% | 523.6 -15% | 427.8 -30% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 658.9 | 657.86 0% | 582.4 -12% | 607.6 -8% | 594.8 -10% | 543.2 -18% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 5216 | 5269.7 1% | 3294 -37% | 3242 -38% | 3324 -36% | 2703 -48% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 7073 | 7090.6 0% | 3522 -50% | 3617 -49% | 3564 -50% | 3387 -52% |
| Write 4K Q8T8 | 2270.27 | |||||
| Read 4K Q8T8 | 2489.72 | |||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 4% /
5% | -35% /
-36% | -28% /
-28% | -30% /
-29% | -44% /
-46% |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
Graphics performance falls short by around 15 percent when compared to the Schenker Ultra 17 even though each system comes with a 165 W TGP GeForce RTX 3080. A "proper" desktop RTX 3080 can perform anywhere between 40 to 60 percent faster than our mobile version. Even so, our GPU is about where we expect it to be after testing over 30 RTX 3080 laptops thus far.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 29298 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 56574 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 23301 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 11052 points | |
Help | ||