Review iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 Notebook

Aside from the obvious size and weight issues, outdoor usability is average when the screen is set to its maximum brightness. Running on battery will not artificially reduce brightness levels, so users can make use of the full potential of the backlight if away from an outlet. Still, a brighter screen would have helped tremendously especially since the screen is relatively large. Comfortable use under direct sunlight is still largely in the realm of a handful of tablets, so working under shade is especially recommended with the Valkyrie if outdoor use is unavoidable.

Viewing angle stability is good as the viewing window is noticeably larger in all directions compared to less expensive notebooks with cheaper TN panels. In addition to the relatively large display size and matte screen, this makes the Valkyrie easy to share with one or two other adjacent viewers. Vertical viewing angles, however, are still a weak point due to the underlying TN technology, but this is barely an issue during regular use or gaming sessions.

The model in review is equipped with the high-end Ivy Bridge i7-3630QM, the lowest selection available, with more powerful options for an i7-3740QM or i7-3840QM for an additional $150 and $350, respectively. The two higher CPU options are faster than the base model by at least 300 MHz and 400 MHz, respectively, but the quad-core i7-3630QM should be more than sufficient for modern games as titles become more dependent on the GPU rather than the CPU. In the Valkyrie, the i7-3630QM will idle at 1200 MHz under Power Saver mode, but it is otherwise capable of operating at its base 2400 MHz core clock up to its 3400 MHz single-core Turbo Boost potential. For more information and benchmarks on the i7-3630QM, see our dedicated page here.

RAM is expandable up to 32 GB via 4x SODIMM slots, though two of those slots are only accessible after removing the keyboard. Our particular model uses a single-channel 8 GB module from G.Skill. Removing the maintenance panel underneath allows direct access to both disk drives bays, CPU and GPU, and some of the RAM. There is no support for mSATA drives.

DPC Latency Checker shows no recurring high latency peaks even with wireless radios active. The program, however, is not yet fully compatible with Windows 8, so its results may not be conclusive.

System performance is assessed with PCMark 7 as PCMark Vantage continues to be incompatible with Microsoft's latest OS. With a tremendous final score of 5455 points in PCMark 7, the Valkyrie outscores many heavy hitters like the Maingear Nomad 15 (5300 points) and Devil 6700 (4675 points), both of which also use dedicated SSDs and GTX 680M GPUs. More notably, its score is higher than the 18.4-inch Alienware M18x R2 with HD 7970M CrossfireX configuration. A number of notebooks with SSD RAID 0 setups can score significantly higher due to the SSD bias, such as the Acer Aspire S5-391, but the Valkyrie still offers one of the best and balanced overall system performances for all intents and purposes.

Dual, non-RAID-compatible 2.5-inch bays are available and accessible from underneath, though only one is fully compatible with SATA III speeds while the other is limited to SATA II. Our model in review includes a 180 GB Intel 335 Series SSD, one of Intel’s latest consumer-oriented offerings that utilize 20 nm MLC NAND components. Scores from CrystalDiskMark put it well above SATA II-limited SSDs where ~250 MB/s read speeds are common, such as with the previous Intel Series 320 generation, but it still falls a bit short compared to a few SATA III SSDs like the Lite-On LAT-256M3S and Samsung SSD 830 in our reviewed Asus G75VW and Clevo P170EM models, respectively. Regardless, the Intel SSD provides an almost instantaneous experience that is normally associated with this type of drive.

Though gaming enthusiasts will be more than satisfied with the performance of the SSD, its capacity for game installations is a different story. The second drive bay alleviates this potential concern with a 750 GB Seagate Momentus 7200 RPM drive. The 9.5 mm thick drive returns a very impressive average transfer rate of 94.3 MB/s on HD Tune, which is one of the faster HDDs we’ve seen on a gaming notebook, above even the WDC Scorpio Black models but still a tad slower than the top Seagate Barracuda models according to our HDD/SSD benchmark list. For a 2.5-inch mechanical drive, the equipped Seagete is certainly hard to overcome without turning to RAID solutions.

Out of the theoretical 180 GB of SSD storage space, 9.77 GB is reserved for system recovery while the HDD comes completely fresh and unallocated ready for the user.

The Valkyrie can be pre-configured with a GTX 675MX or a GTX 680M, the former of which can be considered a cut down version of the latter. The Valkyrie model on hand uses the GTX 680M with 4 GB GDDR5 VRAM, Nvidia’s fastest mobile offering to date. Despite the name, the 680M is closer in specs to the desktop GTX 670 than the GTX 680 due to the available number of shader and texture mapping units. The GPU in the Valkyrie idles at 135/324/270 MHz (Core/Memory/Shader) and is capable of sustaining 757.7/1800/1515.6 MHz in the heat of gaming, which is lower still compared to the GTX 670. Nonetheless, its performance is more than enough to play modern games on high settings at the native 1080p resolution. For more information and benchmarks on the GTX 680M, see our dedicated page here.

A number of recent titles, such as Tomb Raider (post-patch, of course) and Bioshock Infinite play extremely well on their highest settings, while classics like Skyrim and Starcraft 2 run flawlessly. Users who are expecting 1080p60 on max settings from all major titles will still be out of luck, especially from more demanding titles like Guild Wars 2 and Sleeping Dogs where their densely detailed vistas can be enough to put the 680M below the 30 FPS mark during more intense moments. It is here that the massive amount of VRAM (twice that of a standard desktop GTX 680) is expected to give the 680M long legs into the next few years.

Performance in synthetic benchmarks is in the same ballpark as other notebooks sporting the same GPU according to our database. In 3DMark 2013, the Radeon HD 7970M does score consistently higher in Cloud Gate (31869 vs. 28517 points) and Fire Strike graphics (4694 vs. 4146 points), but both the AMD and Nvidia cards trade fair blows in real-world gaming conditions. More details on the performance differences of the GTX 680M and HD 7970M can be seen in our updated comparison article here.

With a measured idling noise of about 37 dB(A), the Valkyrie is always audible under typical ambient conditions. Though high idling noise is somewhat common in gaming notebooks, a few are more tolerable such as the Clevo P170EM, which can idle as low as 31 dB(A). Fortunately, it takes a considerable amount of processing load (such as gaming) to bump up the fan speed in the Valkyrie up to its medium 40 – 43 dB(A) or higher range, so users can multi-task and watch videos without irksome pulsating fan noises.

Prolong 3D gaming can induce fan noises of over 46 dB(A), a sound level that is difficult to ignore without headphones. The built-in manual Turbo Fan feature will bump fan speed even higher to a recorded 52.9 dB(A) in order to lower core temperatures further at the cost of an even noisier system. Overall, however, the Valkyrie is not considerably louder than most other gaming notebooks under gaming conditions.

Sounds emit from a total of five speaker grilles on the Valkyrie – two on the front edge, two above the keyboard, and one (presumably the subwoofer) on the belly of the unit. The speakers are THX Certified and include the corresponding THX software for additional customization.

Speaker quality is very good and very balanced, even at maximum volume. We found it to be sufficient for gaming and movie sessions alike, though external solutions can still offer clearer, less muffled sounds for a better experience. Like many DTR gaming notebooks, users can make use of the dedicated 3.5 mm headphone, mic, line-in, and surround 7.1 output.

Users looking for a high-end 15.6-inch gaming solution have plenty to choose from including the MSI GX60 and GT60, Eurocom Racer 2.0, Maingear Nomad 15 and Asus G55VW, to name a few. The selection of 17.3-inch notebooks with GTX 680M GPUs, however, are somewhat fewer without going the barebones route. In this category, the pre-built Valkyrie CZ-17 is well suited for gamers who want something larger than the more standard 15.6-inch screen without the potential hassles of dealing with barebone components.

Because of its MSI origins, the iBuyPower Valkyrie offers an overall quality and accessibility similar to the GT70, but is made even better with both a larger touchpad and a stiffer, more appealing outer lid. It sacrifices the SSD RAID capabilities as found on its MSI sibling for a less expensive price tag that is perfect for those who are simply looking for a 17.3-inch notebook with one of the most powerful single GPU solutions currently available. The small chassis complaints that do exist, such as the inconsistent sensitivity of the touch-based controls, are so minor that the core experience remains unaffected.

Overall performance rivals other SSD-equipped gaming notebooks and, perhaps most importantly for a device at this price range, is reliable no matter the workload. The Turbo Fan feature can come in handy for more humid times of the year at the cost of generally louder fan noises than other DTRs, both when idle and on maximum workloads. The payoff, of course, is excellent gaming performance and an equally impressive battery life with Optimus enabled.

Buyers should be most aware of the system’s reduced GPU power if running on batteries, the limited warranty options (one-year limited warranty only), and the odd case of a sometimes unchargeable battery even when it is plugged in. The latter may simply be a special case of our specific review unit, but it was easily fixed by draining the battery module first before attempting to charge again. Otherwise, the Valkyrie CZ-17 is an exceptional 17.3-inch gaming solution all-around, especially considering that it can be had for as low as $1600 with a GTX 680M.