Notebookcheck Logo

Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M (7700HQ, FHD, GTX 1050) Laptop Review

Not an epic tale. The new Samsung Odyssey could have knocked it out of the park. Instead, it is your average entry-level system with no standout features to separate it from the growing gaming crowd except for its horrendously loud fan noise.

Samsung can make some pretty mean smartphones, but its presence in the laptop space is comparatively minimal and largely overshadowed by competitors. Thus, we were certainly caught off-guard when the manufacturer nonchalantly announced the 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch Odyssey notebooks at CES 2017. Gaming notebooks in particular have been on the rise in the face of slumping PC sales, so Samsung is likely eyeing a piece of that pie with this brand new entry.

The 15.6-inch Odyssey NP800G5M is an affordable gaming notebook in the same vein as the HP Omen 15 series, MSI GL series, Acer Aspire VX series, and the Asus FX/GL series. It's priced accordingly in the $1100 to $1200 USD range where it is a safe distance away from expensive flagships like the well-known MSI GT series or the Alienware or Gigabyte P series. We're always excited to test new notebook families as the first anchor model is usually a strong indication of what to expect in future generation offerings from the manufacturer. Competition in this entry-level gaming space is becoming increasingly crowded as even multimedia machines are beginning to incorporate the same graphics capabilities of the Odyssey 15 including the HP Pavilion 15t, Dell XPS 15 9560, and the Lenovo Yoga 720.

Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US (Odyssey Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 4 x 2.8 - 3.8 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1354 MHz, Memory: 7008 MHz, GDDR5, 375.63, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, PC4-19200 DDR4, 1300 MHz, 15-15-15-35, Dual-Channel, 2x SODIMM
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, IPS, ID: BOE0689, Name: NV156FHM-N46, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM175
Storage
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR, 128 GB 
, Secondary: 1 TB Seagate ST1000M035-1RK172 HDD
Soundcard
Conexant @ Intel Skylake PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 23.9 x 378 x 260.1 ( = 0.94 x 14.88 x 10.24 in)
Battery
43 Wh, 3780 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: 1.5 W stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Samsung Recovery, Samsung Settings, Samsung Update, WiFi Sharing, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.5 kg ( = 88.19 oz / 5.51 pounds), Power Supply: 747 g ( = 26.35 oz / 1.65 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Odyssey chassis is an original design that accentuates smooth matte surfaces and rounded edges and corners. Even the Odyssey logo on the lid is circular in contrast to Aorus and Lenovo Y notebooks that are typically designed with more defined features. Its surfaces appear to be plastic and they unfortunately accumulate fingerprints very easily. We suspect that portions of the notebook will become glossy over time as they collect grease similar to aging trackpads and keyboard keycaps.

Rigidity is nowhere near as tough as the MSI GT62/GT72 series or the Alienware 15 series. Attempting to twist or bend the base, palm rests, or lid will result in audible creaking and slight warping that, while not significant enough to be a major reliability concern, make the system feel cheap and budget grade. This also includes the uniquely designed honeycomb-like bottom that doubles as ventilation since its hollow structure bends easily. To be fair, the chassis is not any worse than the Pavilion 15t and the lid is slightly more rigid than on a Gigabyte P55. The small dual hinges can be opened up to 170 degrees with no teetering when typing and we can notice no unintended gaps or defects between materials or protruding bezels around the screen. Overall, however, the chassis is middling in both design and construction.

In terms of size and weight, the Samsung is significantly heavier and thicker than the similarly equipped XPS 15 9560 while being thinner than the entry-level Asus GL553VD. It's very close in dimensions to the Pavilion 15t that the Odyssey 15 competes with directly.

380 mm / 15 inch 269 mm / 10.6 inch 34 mm / 1.339 inch 2.6 kg5.79 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.6 kg5.67 lbs382.8 mm / 15.1 inch 254.8 mm / 10 inch 30 mm / 1.181 inch 2.5 kg5.51 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 252 mm / 9.92 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.3 kg4.98 lbs378 mm / 14.9 inch 260.1 mm / 10.2 inch 23.9 mm / 0.941 inch 2.5 kg5.51 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 2 kg4.3 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Available ports are almost exactly the same as on the HP Pavilion 15 with its single video-out option and 3x USB ports. In fact, even the positioning of the ports between the Samsung and HP models is nearly identical along the left and right-hand edges. The major difference is that the Samsung carries just one 3.0 USB port compared to two on the HP.

Costlier or thicker gaming notebooks like the GS63VR or GT62 can have multiple video-out options and more USB ports, so the Odyssey feels barebones in this regard. While we're not expecting Thunderbolt 3 on an entry-level gaming system, a standard USB Type-C Gen. 1 port would have been a welcomed addition.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 2.0, Kensington Lock
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 2.0, Kensington Lock
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, Gigabit RJ-45, HDMI, USB 3.0, 3.5 mm combo audio
Left: AC adapter, Gigabit RJ-45, HDMI, USB 3.0, 3.5 mm combo audio

Software

The Odyssey Control software is a simple system monitor for displaying CPU usage, GPU activity, and fan speeds for both the CPU and GPU fans. It also has a very handy corner overlay for real-time GPU temperature, CPU temperature, FPS, and RAM usage that gamers may like to have active. The software offers no other features and we're hoping that a future revision could perhaps add recording functionality for saving hardware data and gameplay.

System idle showing processor usage and fan speeds
System idle showing processor usage and fan speeds
The system monitor utility is very barebones with almost no features
The system monitor utility is very barebones with almost no features

SD Card Reader

The spring-loaded integrated card reader is one of the slowest for a gaming notebook with a transfer rate of just 18 MB/s from our UHS-II test card. In comparison, the XPS 15 is able to reach over 250 MB/s with the same SD card. Transferring 1 GB worth of images from the card to desktop will take about 41 seconds.

A fully inserted SD card will protrude by only one or two millimeters for safe handling.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
 
120.5 MB/s +468%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
 
78.8 MB/s +272%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
 
21.2 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
 
252.6 MB/s +1311%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
 
86.9 MB/s +385%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
 
17.9 MB/s

Communication

Transfer rates from the Qualcomm QCA9377 module are limited to ~340 Mbps for both upstream and downstream even on the most ideal of conditions (1 meter away from Linksys EA8500 802.11ac test router). This suggests a standard 1x1 WLAN module whereas competing gaming notebooks with Intel 8260 or Killer 1535 modules can reach over 500 Mbps under similar conditions. We otherwise experienced no noticeable connectivity or latency issues during our time with the test unit.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HP Pavilion 15t-bc200 X7P44AV
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
524 MBit/s +54%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
513 MBit/s +50%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
341 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
HP Pavilion 15t-bc200 X7P44AV
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
659 MBit/s +92%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
541 MBit/s +58%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
343 MBit/s

Accessories

There are no included extras in the box beyond the AC adapter and a Quick Start guide. Samsung sells generic accessories such as backpacks and carrying bags designed for notebooks this size if needed.

Maintenance

Samsung advertises an easy honeycomb-like "upgrade door" on the back of the unit for swapping storage and memory. Unfortunately, this small "door" is latched quite tightly around its edges and corners and is difficult to remove. We recommend removing the entire bottom panel instead as all that is needed is a Philips screwdriver and a sharp edge. The rear of the panel, however, can be tricky to pry open because of the surrounding hinges and rear ventilation grilles. Once removed, users will have direct access to the 2x system fans, 2x SODIMM slots, 2x storage drives, and the internal battery.

Relatively accessible internals
Relatively accessible internals

Warranty

The usual one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies whereas other gaming manufacturers like Gigabyte may offer two years as standard.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Tactile feedback from the main QWERTY keys is solid and surprisingly not spongy. The main issue is that the keys wiggle in place and have a higher-pitch clatter compared to other notebooks in this size category. The keyboard keys on an Asus GL series or MSI GT series are relatively firmer and quieter due to their more unyielding designs, so the typing experience is somewhat louder on the Odyssey. Key feedback is not entirely even across all keys either as the NumPad keys are physically smaller than the QWERTY keys and are noticeably spongier in feedback.

A standard three-level red backlight is available not unlike on most Asus gaming systems. The glossy zone around the trackpad will light red as well as a purely aesthetic feature in order to visually distinguish the Odyssey from other gaming systems. The problem is that this zone is much brighter than the keyboard keys and can thus be distracting when on the highest brightness level.

Touchpad

The ELAN-controlled integrated trackpad (~10.3 x 7.0 cm) performs reliably for simple cursor control with no jitters or dead zones. Glide is slightly rougher on the plastic surface compared to the trackpads on the MSI series, but it is at least firmer than the trackpad on the Pavilion 15t. The integrated mouse keys are shallow in travel and sound muffled when pressed. Tactile feedback is subsequently soft and on the weak side, so clicking repeatedly in quick succession is made more difficult than it ought to be.

The matte base and glossy trackpad accents accumulate grease and fingerprints quickly
The matte base and glossy trackpad accents accumulate grease and fingerprints quickly
The red arrows are completely aesthetic and are brighter than the keyboard backlight
The red arrows are completely aesthetic and are brighter than the keyboard backlight
Loud keys with short travel
Loud keys with short travel

Display

The non-touchscreen 1080p IPS matte panel comes standard with no other choices. Other gaming notebooks may offer QHD or UHD options, but gaming in resolutions above 1080p would be unwise with the GTX 1050. Our database shows no other notebooks shipping with the exact same BOE NV156FHM-N46 panel, but the NV156FHM-Nxx series of panels can be found on many 15.6-inch machines including the Lenovo IdeaPad 510 and Asus GL553VD.

Samsung promises a backlight brightness of 250 nits and that is indeed what our own in-house measurements show on average. Most Ultrabooks can be much brighter at well over 300 nits, so the 200 nit range is more standard on gaming notebooks where very high brightness levels are less of a concern in practice. Contrast is unimpressive at about 533:1 compared to almost twice that on pricier gaming notebooks from Alienware or Gigabyte. Subjectively, however, texts and images are still sharp with no distracting color grains that can sometimes plague matte panels. Slight backlight bleeding is present on the bottom and top corners of our test unit that is fortunately largely unnoticeable when gaming or during video playback.

Light backlight bleeding around bottom left corner
Light backlight bleeding around bottom left corner
Subpixel array (141 PPI)
Subpixel array (141 PPI)
245.6
cd/m²
251.5
cd/m²
234.9
cd/m²
246.8
cd/m²
255.9
cd/m²
241
cd/m²
245.9
cd/m²
261.4
cd/m²
257.8
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 261.4 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 249 cd/m² Minimum: 4.69 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 255.9 cd/m²
Contrast: 533:1 (Black: 0.48 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.9 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
70.1% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
44.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
48.71% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
70.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
47.11% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.21
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus FX502VM-AS73
TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
HP Pavilion 15t-bc200 X7P44AV
LGD04D4, , 15.60, 3840x2160
Dell XPS 15 2017 9560 (7300HQ, Full-HD)
Sharp SHP1453 LQ156M1, LED IGZO IPS InfinityEdge, 15.60, 1920x1080
Gigabyte P55W v7
LG Philips LP156WF6 (LGD046F), IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple APPA030, IPS, 15.40, 2880x1800
Display
-19%
34%
44%
25%
77%
Display P3 Coverage
47.11
38.28
-19%
63
34%
68.9
46%
63.5
35%
99
110%
sRGB Coverage
70.4
56.9
-19%
94.4
34%
98.9
40%
82
16%
100
42%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
48.71
39.47
-19%
64.8
33%
70.9
46%
59.9
23%
87.3
79%
Response Times
30%
24%
-48%
16%
144%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38.8 ?(20.8, 18)
28.4 ?(11.2, 17.2)
27%
30.4 ?(12.4, 18)
22%
54 ?(33.2, 20)
-39%
37 ?(15, 22)
5%
46 ?(18, 28)
-19%
Response Time Black / White *
33.6 ?(18.8, 14.8)
22.4 ?(6, 16.4)
33%
24.8 ?(10, 14.8)
26%
52.4 ?(33.2, 19.2)
-56%
25 ?(5, 20)
26%
56 ?(11, 45)
-67%
PWM Frequency
19230 ?(99)
119000 ?(80)
519%
Screen
-8%
15%
46%
28%
61%
Brightness middle
255.9
209.5
-18%
259
1%
400
56%
287
12%
420
64%
Brightness
249
205
-18%
255
2%
392
57%
289
16%
401
61%
Brightness Distribution
90
92
2%
87
-3%
89
-1%
87
-3%
90
0%
Black Level *
0.48
0.69
-44%
0.51
-6%
0.26
46%
0.29
40%
0.3
37%
Contrast
533
304
-43%
508
-5%
1538
189%
990
86%
1400
163%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.9
4.7
20%
3.9
34%
4.9
17%
4.92
17%
3.33
44%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
18.9
19.7
-4%
6.9
63%
11
42%
11
42%
5.11
73%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.6
1.8
68%
4.5
20%
7.2
-29%
3.66
35%
2.73
51%
Gamma
2.21 100%
2.23 99%
2.43 91%
2.11 104%
2.32 95%
2.48 89%
CCT
7250 90%
6975 93%
7257 90%
6911 94%
6482 100%
6457 101%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
44.8
36.2
-19%
59.5
33%
64.2
43%
54
21%
78.09
74%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
70.1
56.6
-19%
98.9
41%
82
17%
99.97
43%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
1% / -5%
24% / 21%
14% / 33%
23% / 26%
94% / 80%

* ... smaller is better

The panel covers approximately 45 percent and 70 percent of the AdobeRGB and sRGB standards, respectively. This is average as far as gaming notebooks go as costlier alternatives tend to offer 90 percent sRGB coverage or more. Response times are also middling for a gaming machine as there is no 120 Hz/5 ms option.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. Dell XPS 15 9560 FHD
vs. Dell XPS 15 9560 FHD

The narrow color gamut is made evident through further display measurements with a X-Rite spectrophotometer. Colors become increasingly more inaccurate at higher saturation levels due to imperfect sRGB coverage with Blue and Magenta colors in particular being represented less accurately than others. Grayscale and RGB balance are otherwise good after calibration and a slight reduction in color temperature.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
33.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18.8 ms rise
↘ 14.8 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 89 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
38.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20.8 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 53 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 19230 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 19230 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 19230 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The display backlight is insufficient for comfortable use outdoors. Direct sunlight and even ambient lighting when under shade will wash out colors and texts. The wide IPS viewing angles and matte screen are not enough to compensate for the relatively dim backlight and average contrast.

Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under direct sunlight
Outdoors under direct sunlight
Outdoors under direct sunlight
Outdoors under direct sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

So far, only one 15.6-inch Odyssey SKU is available and it houses the i7-7700HQ CPU and GTX 1050 GPU. The larger 17.3-inch Odyssey has yet to launch and is expected to be much more powerful with GTX 1070 and AMD RX570 options. Until then, however, the FHD Odyssey 15 with 16 GB of RAM is the sole model.

It's worth noting that the GTX 1050 GPU in the Odyssey is equipped with only 2 GB of GDDR5 VRAM whereas other gaming notebooks with the same GPU may have twice this capacity. The Asus GL753VD, for example, uses the same GTX 1050 GPU but with 4 GB of VRAM instead of just 2 GB.

Optimus is included for switching between the Nvidia GPU and the integrated HD Graphics 530. Subsequently, G-Sync is not available.

Processor

The i7-7700HQ is a common find on multimedia and gaming notebooks of 2017. Raw performance is not significantly faster than the older Skylake i7-6700HQ or Broadwell i7-5700HQ, but this is a moot point as most games are GPU-bound. Our CineBench scores nearly match the MSI GS63VR that also carries the same i7-7700HQ CPU while the enthusiast-level i7-7820HK is about 20 percent faster in both single- and multi-threaded workloads.

Running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop results in no performance drops over time. In comparison, the CPU in the GS63VR can drop by as much as 15 percent under the same CineBench loop testing conditions.

See our dedicated CPU page on the i7-7700HQ for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730740750Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
190 Points +23%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
184 Points +19%
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
162 Points +5%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
155 Points
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
143 Points -8%
Asus GL702VM-GC102D
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
134 Points -14%
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
131 Points -15%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
899 Points +22%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
897 Points +22%
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
742 Points +1%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
738 Points
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
724 Points -2%
Asus GL702VM-GC102D
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
678 Points -8%
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
566 Points -23%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
2.19 Points +20%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.08 Points +14%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.83 Points
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.77 Points -3%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
1.67 Points -9%
Asus GL702VM-GC102D
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.5 Points -18%
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
1.49 Points -19%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.91 Points +21%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
9.78 Points +20%
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.18 Points 0%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.17 Points
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
7.94 Points -3%
Asus GL702VM-GC102D
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.47 Points -9%
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
6.02 Points -26%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
28189 Points +25%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
22512 Points
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
22217 Points -1%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
21755 Points -3%
Asus GL702VM-GC102D
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
20111 Points -11%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
7222 Points +21%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5954 Points
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5747 Points -3%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
5550 Points -7%
Asus GL702VM-GC102D
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
5126 Points -14%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
236 s * -12%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
211.3 s *
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
176.3 s * +17%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6832
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
22512
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5954
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
67.5 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
8.17 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.83 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
102.9 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
738 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
155 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark 8 ranks the Odyssey in the same ballpark as other multimedia and gaming systems. The Asus Strix GL553VD with the same CPU and GPU scores lower on the same tests largely due to its slow primary HDD.

We experienced no notable software or hardware issues during our time with the Odyssey unit.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4765 Points +19%
Gigabyte P55W v7
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Liteonit CV3-8D256
4013 Points 0%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
4001 Points
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
3770 Points -6%
Dell XPS 15 2017 9560 (7300HQ, Full-HD)
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, WDC WD10SPCX-75KHST0 + SanDisk Z400s M.2 2242 32 GB Cache
3659 Points -9%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Gigabyte P55W v7
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Liteonit CV3-8D256
5317 Points 0%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
5305 Points
Dell XPS 15 2017 9560 (7300HQ, Full-HD)
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, WDC WD10SPCX-75KHST0 + SanDisk Z400s M.2 2242 32 GB Cache
4884 Points -8%
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
4680 Points -12%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
2722 Points -49%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
7220 Points +35%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
5362 Points
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
4317 Points -19%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4001 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5362 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5305 points
Help

Storage Devices

M.2 2280 SSD hidden underneath the ribbon cable
M.2 2280 SSD hidden underneath the ribbon cable

Two internal storage bays are available and, in our case, they are occupied by a primary 128 GB Samsung NVMe SSD and a secondary 1 TB Seagate HDD. Overall performance from the SSD is significantly faster than the SATA III SSD in our Asus FX502VM test unit, but write performance is average for a NVMe SSD as the Lite-On drive in our XPS 15 unit is noticeably faster. Meanwhile, the Seagate HDD returns an average transfer rate of almost 105 MB/s according to HD Tune, which is quite fast for a 5400 RPM HDD. We recommend using 7 mm drives as 9.5 mm options will be a very tight fit.

See our growing table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM (Primary SSD)
CDM (Primary SSD)
CDM (Secondary HDD)
CDM (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
 
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
Asus FX502VM-AS73
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
HP Pavilion 15t-bc200 X7P44AV
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-46%
19%
-93%
94%
Read Seq
1518
503
-67%
1115
-27%
93.5
-94%
1684
11%
Write Seq
798
138.2
-83%
311
-61%
89.6
-89%
1106
39%
Read 512
460.5
343.5
-25%
706
53%
39.06
-92%
977
112%
Write 512
195.8
137.8
-30%
472.3
141%
51.1
-74%
1119
472%
Read 4k
47.16
29.36
-38%
31.97
-32%
0.57
-99%
45.14
-4%
Write 4k
143.1
70.9
-50%
135.1
-6%
1.05
-99%
134.1
-6%
Read 4k QD32
521
369.9
-29%
288.3
-45%
1.06
-100%
509
-2%
Write 4k QD32
176.4
99.7
-43%
405.5
130%
1.04
-99%
398.1
126%
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
Sequential Read: 1518 MB/s
Sequential Write: 798 MB/s
512K Read: 460.5 MB/s
512K Write: 195.8 MB/s
4K Read: 47.16 MB/s
4K Write: 143.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 521 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 176.4 MB/s

GPU Performance

3DMark paints a very clear picture as to what we can expect from the mobile GTX 1050. The GPU sits comfortably between the Maxwell GTX 965M and GTX 970M in raw performance, though it is unfortunately closer to the 965M than it is to the 970M. The desktop GTX 1050 still outperforms our mobile counterpart by about 10 to 20 percent depending on the 3DMark benchmark. Notebooks with the faster GTX 1050 Ti will run 20 to 30 percent faster than our configured Odyssey while upgrading from systems powered by the older GTX 950M will bring a massive performance boost of about 50 to 60 percent.

See our dedicated review page on the GTX 1050 for more information on the GPU.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11261 Points +88%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7791 Points +30%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
7321 Points +22%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 2GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (Desktop), 4790K
6797 Points +13%
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
6013 Points 0%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
5990 Points
Gigabyte P55K v5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, 6700HQ
5323 Points -11%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
4133 Points -31%
MSI PX60 6QD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ
3638 Points -39%
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
5348 Points +99%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
3517 Points +31%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 2GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (Desktop), 4790K
3199 Points +19%
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
2714 Points +1%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
2685 Points
Gigabyte P55K v5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, 6700HQ
2507 Points -7%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
1988 Points -26%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
50205 Points +32%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
46362 Points +22%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 2GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (Desktop), 4790K
40922 Points +8%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
38001 Points
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
37840 Points 0%
Gigabyte P55K v5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, 6700HQ
33304 Points -12%
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
32344 Points -15%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
25986 Points -32%
MSI PX60 6QD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ
25900 Points -32%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
14450 Points +86%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
9824 Points +27%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
9768 Points +26%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 2GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (Desktop), 4790K
8571 Points +10%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7760 Points
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7457 Points -4%
Gigabyte P55K v5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, 6700HQ
7128 Points -8%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
4826 Points -38%
MSI PX60 6QD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ
4384 Points -44%
1280x720 Performance Combined
MSI GS63VR 7RF-228US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8873 Points +19%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 2GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (Desktop), 4790K
7998 Points +8%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
7952 Points +7%
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7440 Points
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
6999 Points -6%
Gigabyte P55K v5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, 6700HQ
6712 Points -10%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
6361 Points -15%
MSI PX60 6QD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ
4501 Points -40%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
4466 Points -40%
3DMark 11 Performance
7872 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
84774 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
20291 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
5455 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
2678 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Despite being a low-end GTX solution, the GTX 1050 is a very capable GPU for mainstream 1080p gaming. Performance is impressive considering the meager 2 GB of VRAM as users can crank up graphical settings and still expect average frame rates to remain well above 30 FPS. In comparison, the older GTX 960M has a tougher time maintaining 30 FPS under similar 1080p settings and the GTX 950M is even worse. Gamers demanding 1080p60 will need to turn down settings to Medium or even lower for the more demanding titles. We recommend keeping texture quality in the Medium range or disabling special Nvidia effects if frame rates being to stutter due to the limited VRAM.

See our dedicated GPU page on the GTX 1050 for more benchmarks and comparisons.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 63.6
Metro: Last Light (2013) 78 43.8
Thief (2014) 73 40.4
The Witcher 3 (2015) 43 20.8
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 91 79 47 25
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 115
Fallout 4 (2015) 41.5 34.2
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 70.1 38.7 33.4
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 54.7 34.1 29.6
Doom (2016) 47.5 43.5
Overwatch (2016) 95.3 54.2

Stress Test

We stress the notebook to identify for any throttling or stability issues. The Odyssey performs very well as it is able to sustain a very high Turbo Boost of 3.4 GHz and a reasonable CPU temperature of 76 C when under Prime95 stress. Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously will bring the CPU down to its base 2.8 GHz clock rate, so users won't need to worry about heavy throttling issues during use. These unrealistic loads can cause the CPU and GPU to run as warm as 88 C and 76 C, respectively.

Witcher 3 stress is more representative of what gamers will experience. The CPU and GPU maintain relatively cool core temperatures in the mid 60 C range compared to the 70 C to 80 C range on the similarly equipped XPS 15. Boost clock rates are maintained on both processors with no drop in frame rates over time as shown by our hour-long frame rate data below.

Running on batteries will throttle both CPU and GPU power. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 6965 and 3450 points, respectively, compared to 8859 and 7760 points when on mains. We recommend disabling any GPU power-saving features such as FPS limiters if higher performance is required.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243Tooltip
The Witcher 3 high
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.4 -- 76 49
FurMark Stress -- 1481 80 64
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 2.8 1455 88 76
Witcher 3 Stress 3.5+ 1696 66 61

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling system consists of twin 50 mm fans paired with two heat pipes atop the CPU and GPU. At least one fan is always active no matter the system load according to the Odyssey Control software, but fan noise is thankfully quiet when under idling processing loads at just 29 dB(A) against a silent background of 28 dB(A). Web browsing may bump the fans to 30 or 31 dB(A), which is still more than acceptable for word processing or video playback.

The main problem lies in how loud the fans can become when gaming. Fan noise picks up quickly when launching demanding applications and gaming for short periods will induce a constant fan noise of just over 49 dB(A). Simply running 3DMark will also bring the system up to this noise level and this is already significantly louder than the similarly equipped Pavilion 15t. As another example, the Asus FX502VM is more powerful than the Odyssey yet its fans are measurably quieter when under similar gaming loads. In this case, Odyssey users are sacrificing quieter fan noise in order to obtain those aforementioned cooler processor temperatures.

We can otherwise notice no coil whine on our test unit.

The soldered CPU and GPU are positioned quite close to one another
The soldered CPU and GPU are positioned quite close to one another
One fan is always active no matter the system load
One fan is always active no matter the system load

Noise Level

Idle
28.1 / 29.1 / 29.1 dB(A)
HDD
29.1 dB(A)
Load
49.2 / 49.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.1 dB(A)
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
HP Pavilion 15t-bc200 X7P44AV
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
Gigabyte P55W v7
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Liteonit CV3-8D256
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Radeon Pro 460, 6920HQ, Apple SSD SM1024L
Noise
-4%
-3%
-1%
-7%
3%
off / environment *
28.1
28.7
-2%
28.9
-3%
28.4
-1%
30
-7%
29
-3%
Idle Minimum *
28.1
30.6
-9%
32.3
-15%
29
-3%
33
-17%
30.3
-8%
Idle Average *
29.1
30.6
-5%
32.3
-11%
29
-0%
34
-17%
30.3
-4%
Idle Maximum *
29.1
31
-7%
32.3
-11%
32.2
-11%
35
-20%
30.3
-4%
Load Average *
49.2
46.2
6%
43.2
12%
47.1
4%
39
21%
35.1
29%
Load Maximum *
49.2
52.3
-6%
45.2
8%
47.1
4%
50
-2%
46
7%
Witcher 3 ultra *
52

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Surface temperatures are relatively flat during low loads with the rear quadrants being warmer than the front due to the design of the cooling solution. When under extreme loads, the left-hand side of the keyboard will become extremely warm at almost 50 C as shown by our temperature maps below. The positioning of both the CPU and GPU almost directly underneath the WASD keys has us scratching our heads as most gaming notebooks have been designed to avoid this. Expect these keys to be as warm as 40 C when gaming for sweaty fingers.

Fortunately, the palm rests and trackpad remain cool no matter the system load since only the HDD and battery occupy the space underneath. The rear ventilation grilles ensure that the left- and right-hand sides of the table don't become too warm.

Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Max. Load
 58.4 °C
137 F
51.2 °C
124 F
45.2 °C
113 F
 
 48.2 °C
119 F
47 °C
117 F
29.2 °C
85 F
 
 26.8 °C
80 F
27 °C
81 F
26.2 °C
79 F
 
Maximum: 58.4 °C = 137 F
Average: 39.9 °C = 104 F
43.4 °C
110 F
40.6 °C
105 F
54.2 °C
130 F
24.2 °C
76 F
33.8 °C
93 F
35.2 °C
95 F
25.8 °C
78 F
25 °C
77 F
26.2 °C
79 F
Maximum: 54.2 °C = 130 F
Average: 34.3 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  43 °C = 109 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.9 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 58.4 °C / 137 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 54.2 °C / 130 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.4 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.8 °C / 93 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27 °C / 80.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+1.9 °C / 3.4 F).

Speakers

Small 1.5 W stereo speakers
Small 1.5 W stereo speakers

The 1.5 W stereo speakers are not as loud as other multimedia 15-inch notebooks including the Pavilion 15t. In turn, balance is slightly better and treble is not over-represented during music or video playback. Bass is still lacking as shown by the sudden drop off at the 250 Hz mark. Fortunately, maximum volume introduces no static or chassis reverberations. The 3.5 mm audio jack is plug-and-play without any issues and is definitely recommended when gaming to avoid the fan noise.

Samsung Odyssey (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
Samsung Odyssey (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
HP Pavilion 15t
HP Pavilion 15t
MSI GS63VR
MSI GS63VR
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2042.139.82539.4363135.835.6403735.95035.6356333.633.48032.332.710031.232.612530.431.116030.23020029.230.925028.23631527.74840027.753.25002747.963026.345.880025.647100025.849125024.949.5160024.551.8200024.650250024.451.6315024.156.440002461.650002459.2630023.958.5800023.861.81000023.959.71250023.863.11600023.957.4SPL3769N2.922.2median 24.9median 50Delta29.535.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSamsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01USApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (63.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (37.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 99% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 93% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 6% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox selectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop draws about 6 W to 11 W depending on the Power Profile and brightness setting not unlike the XPS 15 FHD SKU. Running 3DMark 06 demands almost 82 W or about 25 W less than the FX502VM and its GTX 1060 GPU. Overall power consumption results are in line with what we expect considering the GTX 1050 GPU and i7-7700HQ CPU.

Maximum load with Prime95 and FurMark will demand just under 123 W from a relatively large (14.5 x 7.5 x 4 cm) 120 W power adapter. It's uncommon for us to record consumption numbers that meet or exceed the rated capacity of the external PSU, so this is definitely an area for improvement should Samsung launch more Odyssey models in the future. This also indicates that Samsung likely has no plans to launch a 15-inch Odyssey with higher-end components very soon as this would require a more powerful AC adapter in the process.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.28 / 0.78 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6.7 / 8.9 / 10.8 Watt
Load midlight 81.8 / 122.7 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01USAsus FX502VM-AS73Dell XPS 15 2017 9560 (7300HQ, Full-HD)Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71Gigabyte P55W v7Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Power Consumption
-57%
0%
-12%
-28%
14%
Idle Minimum *
6.7
14.9
-122%
6.6
1%
7.7
-15%
8
-19%
3
55%
Idle Average *
8.9
15.1
-70%
9
-1%
11.7
-31%
13
-46%
9.9
-11%
Idle Maximum *
10.8
15.2
-41%
10.7
1%
12
-11%
18
-67%
12.5
-16%
Load Average *
81.8
105.8
-29%
77.5
5%
80.5
2%
76
7%
70.6
14%
Witcher 3 ultra *
92.2
Load Maximum *
122.7
148.8
-21%
130
-6%
128.4
-5%
143
-17%
90.8
26%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

At just 43 Wh, the Odyssey uses one of the smallest internal battery packs for a 15.6-inch gaming notebook. Pricier alternatives like the Asus FX502VM or Gigabyte P55W v7 have battery capacities almost 50 percent larger. Even with this in mind, runtimes on the Samsung are average for its class at almost 4.5 hours of real-world WLAN use. Idling on desktop and on the minimum display brightness setting will last just over 10 hours before automatic shutdown, so users should be able to squeeze out more than just 4.5 hours of use for undemanding tasks.

Charging from near empty to full capacity will take 2 hours with the included AC adapter.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
10h 12min
WiFi Websurfing
4h 23min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 16min
Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 43 Wh
Asus FX502VM-AS73
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 64 Wh
Dell XPS 15 2017 9560 (7300HQ, Full-HD)
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 56 Wh
Asus ROG Strix GL553VD-DS71
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 48 Wh
Gigabyte P55W v7
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 63 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
6920HQ, Radeon Pro 460, 76 Wh
Battery Runtime
-17%
10%
-20%
30%
52%
Reader / Idle
612
363
-41%
565
-8%
440
-28%
789
29%
WiFi v1.3
263
277
5%
334
27%
276
5%
346
32%
619
135%
Load
76
64
-16%
84
11%
47
-38%
98
29%
52
-32%

Pros

+ relatively cool core temperatures under gaming load
+ strong CPU and GPU performance; no throttling
+ NVMe M.2 SSD + SATA III bay
+ system monitor utility
+ accessible internals
+ good key feedback

Cons

- average display response times; no 120 Hz/5 ms or G-Sync display options
- loud fans when gaming; no fan control software
- small battery capacity; average battery life
- lid could be more rigid; creaky case
- warm WASD keys when gaming
- no USB Type-C or DisplayPort
- weak speakers; poor bass
- very slow SD card reader
- loud key clatter

Verdict

In review: Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US
In review: Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US

Our impressions on the first Odyssey notebook are a mixed bag. On one hand, the system performs admirably with no CPU or GPU throttling and runs at acceptably low operating temperatures for a gaming notebook. Its ability to maintain high Turbo Boost clock rates is something that super-thin gaming notebooks tend to struggle with, so the Odyssey has at least gotten core performance down to a tee.

Outside of its reliable performance, the Odyssey struggles with other factors. Most notably, fan noise is very load when gaming even for a gaming notebook. At nearly 50 dB(A), this range is expected from more powerful GPUs like the GTX 1070 or GTX 1080 - not the GTX 1050. Manual fan controls would have gone a long way to letting the user balance noise and core temperatures for more enjoyable gaming experiences.

Cut corners also become more obvious the longer we spend with the notebook. The SD reader is slow, connectivity features are barebones, GPU VRAM is halved, battery capacity is small, and both contrast and colors aren't as deep as on costlier alternatives. The extra warm WASD keys is also a strange design decision; a car manufacturer would never design uncomfortably warm steering wheels for the same reason that a gaming notebook should never have uncomfortably warm WASD keys.

The HP Pavilion 15t with the same CPU and GPU also retails in the $1100 to $1200 USD price range as does our configured Odyssey. While the Samsung excels in core performance, it's merely run-of-the-mill in nearly every other aspect and doesn't offer enough to propel it over other GTX 1050 notebooks.

The first Samsung Odyssey gaming notebook is finally available and.. it is dull and nothing special. CPU and GPU performances are great with no throttling, but fan noise is severe.

Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M-X01US - 04/24/2017 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
63 / 98 → 64%
Keyboard
67%
Pointing Device
69%
Connectivity
49 / 81 → 60%
Weight
60 / 10-66 → 89%
Battery
78%
Display
81%
Games Performance
89%
Application Performance
94%
Temperature
85 / 95 → 89%
Noise
80 / 90 → 89%
Audio
50%
Camera
37 / 85 → 43%
Average
69%
77%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 1 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Samsung Odyssey NP800G5M (7700HQ, FHD, GTX 1050) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2017-04-24 (Update: 2017-04-28)