Review Schenker W503 (Clevo P150SM) Notebook

The dark gray case is based on the Clevo P150SM barebone, which looks - apart from a few smaller details - like the old P150EM (Schenker XMG P502).

Apart from the connectivity, Clevo only changed the position of the Fn key and the display bezel. After years of critique, the glossy bezel, extremely susceptible to scratching, was finally replaced by a matte one.

The lid and palm rests are again rubberized and feel nice to the touch. If you do not touch the case with greasy fingers, it does not get too dirty. Glossy devices like the DevilTech Devil 6700 are definitely bigger fingerprint magnets.

The build quality of the P150SM barebone is decent. Although the 15-incher cannot completely keep up with Asus's G55VW or the Alienware M14x, it also does not fail. Most of the plastic parts connect neatly to each other.

The stability is on a similar high level. If you ignore that the lid wobbles a little bit (a typical notebook problem), the case is rather flexural rigid even if stronger pressure is applied. Users who are not too demanding should be satisfied with the quality experience. We especially liked the simple and timeless design, which might appear conservative to some. The 15-inch laptop is miles away from the cheap "bling" look of MSI notebooks (e.g. see the GT60).

With a size of 376 x 256 x 49 mm and a weight of just under 3.2 kg, the Schenker W503 does not belong with the slimmest and lightest notebooks. Nevertheless, it can be properly transported if you do not mind the 850 g, 168 x 83 x 35 mm power adapter.

Software

The manufacturer deserves praise for a clean Windows installation without annoying bloatware. Our test device only had just under 20 drivers and tools preinstalled. This is exemplary and bigger notebook manufacturers like Toshiba and Asus, who often install a lot of unnecessary programs, should learn from it.

Accessories

Apart from a 180 Watt power adapter and the 77 Wh lithium-ion battery (420 grams) only a driver DVD is included. We assume that the production model will also come with a multi-lingual user guide. If you order an operating system from Schenker, you will also get an original Windows media. In 2013, this is no longer standard.

Warranty

While the P150HM barebone was equipped with a chiclet keyboard without backlight, the P150EM featured such components and so does the P150SM.

The keys of just under 17 x 17 mm (13 x 13 mm effective) can be lit in several colors and brightness levels. The user-friendly software also supports several special modes (Tempo, Breath, Cycle etc.), which turn the 15-incher into a mini disco. You can even configure three zones.

The typing experience is decent. Pressure point and stroke are well defined. Because of the unusual layout (displaced ><|-key, one-row enter key) a longer training time is required. Pros are sufficiently big cursor keys and the four column number pad.

The special features are advantageous. Apart from brightness and volume you can also control touchpad and display, webcam, and Wi-Fi module via the F-keys. Typing is neither especially quiet nor very loud.

The P150SM barebone can be equipped with a dual or quad-core processor from Intel's current Haswell generation. Our test sample features a 2.7-3.7 GHz Core i7-4800MQ with four cores and 6 MB L3 cache.

Like its Ivy Bridge predecessor, the Core i7-3740QM, the Haswell chip is also processed in 22 nm lithography. Because of the integrated voltage converter Intel slightly increased the TDP from the 45 Watt of previous generation quad-core CPUs to 47 Watt.

While the CPU performance increased only slightly, the integrated HD Graphics 4600 graphics chip is significantly faster than the HD Graphics 4000. Hyperthreading technology, which adds a virtual core to each real one, is already well known. However, only few users will profit from eight parallel threads.

Thanks to Nvidia's Optimus technology, the Schenker W503 can dynamically switch between the integrated and dedicated graphics solution.

Although the name suggests something different, the GeForce 700 is not a completely new series with new architecture, but a tuned Kepler model.

With 768 unified shaders and 2.048 MB GDDR5 video memory (128-bit interface) the GeForce GTX 765M is a halved GeForce GTX 780M. Nvidia's current top model features 1,536 shaders and double the VRAM (256-bit interface).

The GeForce GTX 765M also has a lower memory clock: 2,004 MHz is 20% slower than the GTX 780M's 2,500 MHz. But, the core clock of the GTX 765M is slightly higher (850 vs. 823 MHz). Thanks to GPU Boost the graphics card can automatically overclock. According to GPU-Z it clocks with up to 902 MHz (see screenshot) during the Unigine Heaven benchmark.

According to the specs, the GeForce GTX 765M is akin to the GeForce GTX 670MX. The Kepler model features 25% more unified shaders (960) and a 50% wider memory interface (192-bit), but clocks with 600 and 1,400 MHz (core/memory) significantly lower.

As the GeForce GTX 765M was not yet supported by official Nvidia drivers, we had to use the somewhat older ForceWare 311.27.

Apart from HDDs and SSDs you can also configure hybrid models on Schenker's homepage. Thanks to the two mSATA slots and the 2.5-inch slot the P150SM  barebone can house a maximum of three hard drives (the P150EM only featured a single mSATA slot).

We think that a combination of a small mSATA SSD and a big HDD would be most attractive. The 128 GB model of the Samsung SSD PM841 (MZMTD128HAFV) is definitely a good choice.

With a sequential read rate of 511 MB/s, a sequential write rate of just under 130 MB/s and an access time lower than 0.1 ms, it can keep up with the 120 GB Samsung SSD 840 (MZ-7TD120) model. The 2.5-inch model achieved very similar results in the DevilTech HellMachine. E.g. the 256 GB model of the Samsung SSD PM841 is more than 100 MB/s faster in sequential writing (see Schenker XMG P703).

In addition to the mSATA SSD, the Clevo comes with a 750 GB hybrid hard drive. The 7,200 rpm Seagate Momentus XT 7200.1 (ST750LX003) with 8 MB flash memory outperforms nearly all competitors. It achieves an excellent 100 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark. While there are 7200 rpm models, e.g. the 1,000 GB Hitachi Travelstar 7K1000 (HTS721010A9E630) available, which are faster on paper, the advantages of the hybrid technology should not be underestimated.

Overall, the sequential rates are on par with the Samsung SpinPoint M8 HN-M101MBB, the Seagate Momentus ST1000LM024, and the Toshiba MQ01ABD100, which have a capacity of 1,000 GB and a revolution speed of 5,400 rpm.

Our gaming tests verified the results in synthetic graphics benchmarks. All results considered, the GeForce GTX 765M ranks in between the GeForce GTX 670MX and the GeForce GTX 675MX. The latter is about 20% faster, but the GeForce 700 series is still young and does not have up-to-date drivers so far.

However, the 28 nm GPU does not stand a chance against the GeForce GTX 780M. Nvidia's top model is about 100% faster. But, the enormous performance difference also results in a significantly higher price. The Radeon HD 7770 would be the closest competing desktop model.

The GeForce GTX 765M can run modern games fairly well. However, the performance is not always sufficient for maximum graphics options and 4x anti aliasing while most games run smoothly with high details and 2x anti aliasing. Only some special cases, like Crysis 3 or Hitman: Absolution force the user to configure medium settings or reduce the resolution (1600x900 pixels).

Verdict: Gaming enthusiasts should at least select a GeForce GT 765M or even a GeForce GTX 770M. Despite its impressive performance, the GeForce GTX 780M might be far too expensive for most gamers. 

The temperatures are alright. Even under full load the GeForce GTX 765M only hovers around 61 °C and the maximum GPU boost remains available. While the CPU gets significantly warmer according to the CPUID hardware monitor, just under 85 °C is still absolutely acceptable.

The surface temperatures are also acceptable: Given the components, an average of 27 °C while idle and of 32 °C after one hour stress test with Furmark and Prime are more than acceptable. Other 15-inch gamers, e.g. the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 and the Schenker XMG A522, get significantly warmer. The W503 might get warmer with a faster graphics card.

The modest sound is one of the most striking disadvantages of the P150EM barebone, although it comes with Onkyo speakers and THX TruStudio Pro. Despite Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3 technology, which also stems from Creative and significantly improves the sound, the sound can overall not really convince.

Compared to the MSI GT60, which features high-end Dynaudio speakers, the 15-incher sounds less precise, voluminous, and balanced. Also, the good maximum volume and the integrated subwoofer cannot really improve this. If you frequently run PC games or watch videos, you should connect a headset or external speakers.

It's a pity that Clevo does not use a similar sound system as in the P177SM or P370EM. The 17-inch brother devices sound significantly better. At least it shows some improvement compared to the XMG P502.

The battery life is not outstanding. For a gaming notebook, 100 minutes in the Classic Test of the Battery Eater tool (maximum brightness) and just under 4.5 hours in the Reader's Test (minimum brightness) are not bad.

In our standardized WLAN test (average energy saving), the 15-incher shuts down after 3.5 hours. You can enjoy videos from DVD for just under three hours on battery. Overall, the results remind us of the XMG P703.

Great: The GeForce GTX 765M is only 10% slower on battery.

Clevo did not risk much in regard to the look of the P150SM barebone. Apart from a slightly different connectivity and a matte display bezel the 15-inch laptop looks very much like the old P150EM barebone.

However, a lot was changed inside. Besides an additional mSATA slot, the cutting-edge motherboard has to be mentioned. Intel's Haswell processors are the new mobile top models. The performance of the GeForce GTX 765M is also noteworthy. High graphics settings do usually not pose a problem. Those who want even faster performance can configure a more expensive GPU model.

Speaking of configuration: The excellent maintenance and upgrade possibilities belong to the biggest advantages of the P150SM barebone. The 15-incher is very user-friendly. Its matte Full HD screen, the vast connectivity and the uniform keyboard light also contribute to a positive overall impression.  In general, the case scores points with a simple design, a good build quality, and a decent stability. We also liked the rubberized surfaces and the inconspicuous temperature increase.

However, we have to criticize the high system noise. The Schenker W503 is not a device for everyone. Sound and touchpad could also be better. As there are far more advantages than disadvantages, gaming enthusiasts can nevertheless safely buy it.