Review Clevo W355SS (Schenker XMG A504) Barebones Notebook

Processor

The Core i7-4700MQ installed in our review sample has developed to a kind of favorite in the high-end range. It flawlessly processes even demanding programs with 6 MB of L3 cache and a clock of 2.4 - 3.4 GHz. Hyper-Threading adds a virtual counterpart to every physical core so that the quad-core can simultaneously process up to eight threads (dual-cores: four maximum).

Owing to the higher TDP that provides information about the waste heat, the 22 nm model is a bit less expensive than the Core i7-4702MQ, which is specified with 37 rather than 47 watts. The premium i7-4910MQ model offered in the configurator is not really worthwhile despite its 8 MB L3 cache because the graphics card is more the limiting factor in games.

A dual-core would theoretically be enough for the laptop when excluding CPU-heavy games like Guild Wars 2. Tight budgets should preferably invest in an SSD. That has a bigger effect in Windows routine than a quad-core.

We already discovered that Nvidia has hit a home run with the GeForce GTX 860M in the XMG P304. The DirectX 11 capable, price-performance whopper comes from the brand new Maxwell generation that stands out with a high performance, and - compared with the former Kepler architecture - especially good energy efficiency.

Although the 28 nm model "only" has 640 shader units (GTX 765M: 769, GTX 770M: 960), and a 128-bit memory interface (2048 MB GGDR5 VRAM), the GPU can throughout compete with premium contenders owing to the excellent clock rates of 1029 or 2500 MHz, and other improvements.

To prevent excessive power consumption in basic tasks, such as office work or web browsing, the XMG A504 supports Nvidia's Optimus technology that automatically switches between the processor-integrated HD Graphics 4600 and the GeForce GTX 860M. We used the pre-loaded driver version 332.60 for our benchmarks. As usual, Nvidia will likely extract even a bit more performance from the chip in the next few weeks/months.

Bargain hunters who want to purchase a 2.5-inch SSD will find one in Micron's Crucial M500. The 240 GB version that we tested definitely left a solid impression. Approximately 500 MB/s in sequential read and 260 MB/s in sequential write remain out of reach for conventional HDDs.

We should mention that some SATA III SSDs deliver higher rates. For example, the 250 GB version of Samsung's 840 EVO that manages up to 462 MB/s, which is a good 80% more. The 840 EVO also tends to achieve a better score with smaller files. The access times of both solid state drives are good. AS SSD recorded below 0.06 ms in both cases.

Users will have to decide for themselves whether the extra costs for an 840 EVO or another flash product is worthwhile.

New games are rendered smoothly in the native 1920x1080 pixels when maximum settings and multiple anti-aliasing are not used if necessary. Even Battlefield 4, that has a high requirement on the graphics card, ran with almost 30 fps in the ultra setting.

Based on the eight tested titles, we can confirm that the GTX 860M has a high performance that is roughly on par with the GTX 770M, with exception of the driver-dependent Titanfall. The actual GTX 765M precursor is defeated by about 25%. The DirectX 11 chip is no threat for the (former) premium models GTX 780M and R9 M290X. While the first has a lead of almost 30%, the latter calculates 40% faster.

The temperatures do not give much reason for complaint. Although the chassis heats up to 47 °C (upper side) and 46 °C (underside) in 3D operation, the wrist rest remains surprisingly cool. A maximum of 30 °C does not get uncomfortable even during a longer gaming session. Schenker's 13-inch XMG P304 model reaches considerably higher temperatures.

The entire chassis has a pleasant temperature in ideal situations, so during low or no load. An average of 32 °C results in a good total score.

It can only get unhealthy inside. Our stress test caused a maximum GPU temperature of 88 °C, and a maximum CPU temperature of 100 °C according to the HWMonitor tool. The single-fan design with only one heat pipe for both the graphics card and processor is pushed to its limits here.

Gaming laptops with a long battery runtime were rare a few years ago. However, now good results are possible owing to new technologies like Nvidia's Optimus graphics switching. Schenker's XMG A504 also proves this.

3.5 hours of wireless Internet browsing in medium brightness seem just as feasible as two hours of 3D operation using maximum brightness to us. Up to 4.5 hours of idling are even possible with the 8-cell battery (77 Wh, 5200 mAh) when using minimum brightness. Users who want even more mobility in the 15-inch category should take Gigabyte's P25W (max. 9 hours).

Buyers should be aware of four things before buying the XMG A504: 1. The display bezel will have scratches after only a few weeks; 2. The fan is not exactly quiet in gaming operation; 3. The atmosphere of entertainment media will be lessened without headphones or external speakers; 4. The plain-looking plastic casing has a few production flaws in some places.

Still interested? Good, because the notebook does not give much reason for complaint apart from these shortcomings. Besides other things, we have the very bright screen that scores with a high contrast and a relatively matte surface on the positive side.

The interface distribution also seems well-considered and allows unimpaired mouse usage. Some companies could also take an example on the great maintenance options, the freely configurable hardware, and the clean Windows installation. Not to mention the moderate temperature development (chassis) and a chiclet keyboard with a white backlight.

Gamers will be particularly delighted about the GeForce GTX 860M. Nvidia manages a virtually perfect compromise of performance, waste heat, and power consumption in its Maxwell version (but we will have to wait and see how the Kepler counterpart will fare).

We overall tend to put our thumbs up for the laptop.