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Schenker Technologies XMG U727 (Clevo P870KM-GS) Laptop Review

A tower PC dressed up as a notebook. While most manufacturers’ gaming laptops feature mobile processors and a soldered-on GPU, Schenker Technologies have taken a different route with their 17-inch XMG U727 and equipped the mammoth with a desktop CPU and an MXM graphics card. Whether this approach is successful or not is the subject of our review.

For the original German review, see here.

To emphasize the upgradeability of their latest generation, the German Notebook retailer Schenker Technologies refrains from a name change and simply calls the 17-inch notebook XMG U727 the same as its predecessor. To differentiate the new offering in their online shop, Schenker has simply added a "2017" to the name. Since the chassis is quite similar to that of the predecessor, we will forgo a detailed examination of the case, the connectivity, input devices and the speakers and will only briefly touch upon what is new under the hood.

We are already familiar with many of the components such as the graphics card. The user can choose a GeForce GTX 1080 or an SLI combo utilizing NVidia’s most powerful notebook GPU. The U727 supports a maximum of 64 GB DDR4 RAM (4 slots) and up to 5 storage drives (3x M.2 Typ 2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 & 2x 2.5-inch), which is also very generous. The display choices consist of a WQHD panel with 2560x1440 pixels running at 120 Hz and a UHD panel with 3840x2160 pixels at 60 Hz (both with G-Sync support).

The most significant change is the processor. Instead of a Skylake-generation CPU, both the (still available) 2016 version as well as the 2017 version are equipped with Kaby Lake units ranging from the cost effective Core i5-7400 (max. 3.5 GHz, 4 cores, 4 threads, TDP 65 W) to the very expensive Core i7-7700K (max. 4.5 GHz, 4 cores, 8 threads, TDP 95 W). And just as if desktop CPUs in a notebook were not unusual enough, Schenker has also started offering delidded processors now, which is something many users have been hoping for. 

Of course, performance like this does not come cheap: as configured (see the specifications), the laptop sells for 4400 Euros (~$4740); the least expensive version costs 2900 Euros (~$3125).

SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700K 4 x 4.2 - 4.5 GHz, Kaby Lake, LGA 1151
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1582 MHz, Memory: 2500 MHz, GDDR5X, MXM 3.0, ForceWare 378.66
Memory
32 GB 
, 2x 16 GB SO DIMM DDR4-2400, Dual Channel, 2 of 4 slots occupied, max. 64 GB
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 255 PPI, AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 (AUO109B), AHVA, UHD, G-Sync, 60 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Z270 (Kaby Lake)
Storage
Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e, 256 GB 
, NVMe SSD + Samsung 960 Pro, 512 GB NVMe SSD + Seagate BarraCuda ST2000LM015, 2000 GB HDD @ 5400 rpm. Slots: 3x M.2 Typ 2280 (PCIe/NVMe) & 2x 2.5-inch
Soundcard
Realtek ALC899 @ Intel Union Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
5 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: headphone, microphone, line in, line out, Card Reader: SD,SDHC,SDXC,Mini SD,MMC,RSMMC, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 47 x 428 x 308 ( = 1.85 x 16.85 x 12.13 in)
Battery
89 Wh Lithium-Ion, 8 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 2.0 MP (FHD)
Additional features
Speakers: 2.1 (Sound Blaster X-Fi MB5), Keyboard: 3 zones, Keyboard Light: yes, 330 W power adapter, XMG sticker, 2.5-inch accessories, cleaning cloth, driver DVD, recovery DVD, Control Center, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
4.99 kg ( = 176.02 oz / 11 pounds), Power Supply: 1.29 kg ( = 45.5 oz / 2.84 pounds)
Price
4414 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Overview

The 2017 version of the XMG U727 is based on the 870KM GS Barebone from Clevo, which is identical to the 2016 version (Clevo P870DM3-G) – including the physical ports. For this reason, we did not take a new set of photos, but reused the ones we shot during our previous review

At almost 5 kg (~11 lbs) and 4.7 cm (~1.85 inches) thick, the 17-inch notebook is still one of the heaviest and thickest gaming notebooks on the market. Nearly all GTX 1080 competitors - such as the Acer Predator 17 X (4.3 kg/~9.5 lb)), the MSI GT73VR 7RF (4.1 kg/~9 lb) and the Asus G701VIK (4.0 kg/~8.8 lb) - are both lighter and slimmer. These laptops come with a regular notebook CPU and are not as readily upgradeable and as easy to maintain.

Size Comparison

428 mm / 16.9 inch 333 mm / 13.1 inch 51 mm / 2.01 inch 4.5 kg9.94 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 49 mm / 1.929 inch 4.1 kg9.06 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 294 mm / 11.6 inch 48 mm / 1.89 inch 3.8 kg8.44 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 308 mm / 12.1 inch 47 mm / 1.85 inch 5 kg11 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 322 mm / 12.7 inch 45 mm / 1.772 inch 4.3 kg9.58 lbs429 mm / 16.9 inch 309 mm / 12.2 inch 38 mm / 1.496 inch 4 kg8.8 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
 
168 MB/s +1%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
 
166 MB/s 0%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
 
166 MB/s
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
 
125 MB/s -25%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
 
79 MB/s -52%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
 
76 MB/s -54%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
 
246 MB/s +19%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
 
224 MB/s +8%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
 
207 MB/s
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
 
205 MB/s -1%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
 
89 MB/s -57%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
 
86 MB/s -58%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
628 MBit/s +8%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
624 MBit/s +7%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
618 MBit/s +6%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
584 MBit/s
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
354 MBit/s -39%
iperf3 receive AX12
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
683 MBit/s
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
682 MBit/s 0%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
681 MBit/s 0%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
675 MBit/s -1%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
672 MBit/s -2%

Software

The software package is also almost identical to what was installed on the predecessor. Tuning fans will appreciate the Control Center, which not only allows manual fan control, but also makes it possible to change the keyboard colors and overclock the CPU, RAM, and the GPU. We conducted our tests with the notebook as it was shipped - without overclocking enabled.

Control Center - System Program
Control Center - System Program
Control Center - Device
Control Center - Device
Control Center - Gaming
Control Center - Gaming
CPU Memory Overclocking
CPU Memory Overclocking
Flexikey
Flexikey
GPU Overclock
GPU Overclock

Display

The display panel is an old acquaintance as well: the G-Sync certified 4K panel from AU Optronics (model B173ZAN01.0) had already delighted and impressed us last year.

335
cd/m²
367
cd/m²
357
cd/m²
351
cd/m²
362
cd/m²
367
cd/m²
312
cd/m²
311
cd/m²
330
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 (AUO109B) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 367 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 343.6 cd/m² Minimum: 18 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 362 cd/m²
Contrast: 1034:1 (Black: 0.35 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.46 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
88% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
99.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
86.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.31
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 (AUO109B), 3840x2160
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), 1920x1080
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
B173HAN01.1 (AUO119D), 1920x1080
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D), 1920x1080
Asus G752VS-XB78K
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF3 (LGD04E8), 1920x1080
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Chi Mei N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), 1920x1080
Display
-3%
-23%
-26%
-25%
-23%
Display P3 Coverage
86.6
90.6
5%
68.8
-21%
66
-24%
66.9
-23%
68.3
-21%
sRGB Coverage
99.9
99.9
0%
87.7
-12%
83.7
-16%
85.2
-15%
86.7
-13%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
99.5
84.7
-15%
64.1
-36%
61.2
-38%
62.3
-37%
63.4
-36%
Response Times
58%
22%
-1%
18%
55%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
44 ?(14, 30)
26 ?(12, 14)
41%
38 ?(13, 25)
14%
45 ?(18, 27)
-2%
38 ?(14, 24)
14%
29 ?(13, 16)
34%
Response Time Black / White *
28 ?(6, 22)
7 ?(4, 3)
75%
20 ?(4, 16)
29%
28 ?(6, 22)
-0%
22 ?(4, 18)
21%
7 ?(4, 3)
75%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-82%
-21%
-24%
-20%
-81%
Brightness middle
362
307
-15%
306
-15%
380
5%
328
-9%
299
-17%
Brightness
344
284
-17%
299
-13%
362
5%
317
-8%
277
-19%
Brightness Distribution
85
85
0%
91
7%
91
7%
88
4%
87
2%
Black Level *
0.35
0.25
29%
0.27
23%
0.37
-6%
0.3
14%
0.27
23%
Contrast
1034
1228
19%
1133
10%
1027
-1%
1093
6%
1107
7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.46
9.65
-292%
3.98
-62%
4.12
-67%
3.74
-52%
9.65
-292%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.26
16.36
-284%
7.29
-71%
8.19
-92%
8.97
-111%
15.43
-262%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.9
10.07
-247%
4.15
-43%
3.95
-36%
2.67
8%
9.68
-234%
Gamma
2.31 95%
2.12 104%
2.45 90%
2.47 89%
2.41 91%
1.89 116%
CCT
6120 106%
12145 54%
7386 88%
6539 99%
6861 95%
11652 56%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
88
75
-15%
58
-34%
55
-37%
56
-36%
75
-15%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
100
0%
89
-11%
84
-16%
85
-15%
100
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-9% / -48%
-7% / -16%
-17% / -21%
-9% / -16%
-16% / -51%

* ... smaller is better

In addition to the high resolution, the IPS display impresses with high color accuracy (DeltaE deviation < 3) and superb coverage of the color spaces: for a notebook, 100% sRGB and 88% AdobeRGB coverage are outstanding. Viewing angle stability, brightness (average: 344 cd/m²) and contrast (above 1000:1) also rate from good to very good.

CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
Schenker XMG U727 vs. sRGB (100%)
Schenker XMG U727 vs. sRGB (100%)
Schenker XMG U727 vs. AdobeRGB (88%)
Schenker XMG U727 vs. AdobeRGB (88%)

Compromises are only necessary when it comes to the response times: 28 ms for the black-to-white and 44 ms for the gray-to-gray response are not exactly impressive when compared to 120 Hz notebooks (TN panels are generally much faster). OLED panels - like the one Dell uses for the Alienware 13 R3 - are of course much faster still.

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
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % 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
44 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 30 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. » 69 % 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 not detected

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.

Performance

We will start our performance evaluation with some screenshots depicting detailed information about the processor, the motherboard, the RAM, and the GPU.

Processor

The CPUs that Schenker use for their XMG U727 have - except for the power-saving versions ending in T - a much higher TDP of 65 to 90 W when compared to their mobile counterparts at 45 W. Although a desktop CPU in a notebook requires a sophisticated cooling system, it still makes a lot of sense. One of the main benefits: the CPU is upgradeable, since - unlike what we are used to from "normal" laptops -  it is not soldered onto the motherboard. This means that the processor can be swapped in case of a defect or for other reasons.

Single-core Rendering
Single-core Rendering
Multi-core Rendering
Multi-core Rendering
CPU & GPU load
CPU & GPU load

Another advantage is the faster clock speeds. While the top notebook CPU Core i7-7820HK tops out at 3.9 GHz, the Core i7-7700K reaches up to 4.5 GHz. The reason why many competitors (Acer Predator 17 X, Asus G701VIK, MSI GT73VR 7RF ...) are still able to keep up with the review laptop when it comes to the CPU benchmarks has to do with overclocking. Since the user can select the multiplier freely, the Core i7-7820HK can reach up to 4.0 GHz or more and thus only trails the faster Core i7-7700K by 5 to 11%.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
193 Points
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
184 Points -5%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
184 Points -5%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
172 Points -11%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
160 Points -17%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
159 Points -18%
CPU Multi 64Bit
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
958 Points
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
899 Points -6%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
874 Points -9%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
864 Points -10%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
789 Points -18%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
736 Points -23%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
2.18 Points
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.08 Points -5%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.08 Points -5%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
1.95 Points -11%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.81 Points -17%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.77 Points -19%
CPU Multi 64Bit
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
10.59 Points
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.91 Points -6%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.6 Points -9%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.55 Points -10%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
8.63 Points -19%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.17 Points -23%

The Turbo is utilized very well when it comes to both single and multi-core loads. The Kaby Lake processor never dropped below 4.4 GHz, even after prolonged periods of stress. A 30 minute test using our brand new Cinebench R15 loop resulted in very consistent scores.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730740750760770780790800810820830840850860870880890900910920930940950960Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
2.18 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
10.59 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
193 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
958 Points
Help

System Performance

Although the overall system performance is of course top notch, the notebook did not score quite as well as expected when running the PCMark benchmarks - our configuration trailed the competition in both the Home and the Work sub-tests. The PCMark 7 score of 7864 on the other hand is good enough for second place right between the Asus G701VIK (7903 points) and the Acer Predator 17 X (7667 points), both of which also utilize an NVMe SSD. Subjectively, the system is pleasantly quick and impresses with very fast load times. 

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5975 Points +22%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
5662 Points +16%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5575 Points +14%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5
5009 Points +2%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
4902 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
6123 Points +23%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
5846 Points +18%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5778 Points +16%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5
5404 Points +9%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
4972 Points
PCMark 7 - Score
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
7903 Points 0%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
7864 Points
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
7667 Points -3%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
7635 Points -3%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
6803 Points -13%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5
6618 Points -16%
PCMark 7 Score
7864 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4902 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4972 points
Help

Storage Devices

To avoid bottlenecking the high-end components and to guarantee ample storage, Schenker utilizes a total of three hard drives. The 256 GB Samsung M.2 SSD houses the operating system (Windows 10 Home 64-bit). Based on PCIe 3.0 x4 technology, the SM961 literally mops the floor with conventional SATA III SSDs. According to AS SSD, the drive reaches up to 2746 MB/s and 1445 MB/s for sequential reads and writes, respectively - an outstanding result.

AS SSD (SSD1)
AS SSD (SSD1)
CrystalDiskMark (SSD1)
CrystalDiskMark (SSD1)
AS SSD (SSD2)
AS SSD (SSD2)
CrystalDiskMark (SSD2)
CrystalDiskMark (SSD2)
HDTune (HDD)
HDTune (HDD)

The secondary solid-state drive is faster still with read and write transfer rates of 3002 MB/s and 2066 MB/s, respectively. The 512 GB version of the Samsung 960 Pro that Schenker uses is currently the fastest storage option available. Users requiring even more space (movie collections, etc.) are going to appreciate the 2000 GB 5400 RPM Seagate Barracuda hard drive, which offers a great price-to-performance ratio.

SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5
AS SSD
1%
11%
-23%
-62%
Seq Read
2746
2988
9%
3247
18%
2261
-18%
509
-81%
Seq Write
1445
2332
61%
2520
74%
1338
-7%
282.1
-80%
4K Read
56.8
46.75
-18%
51
-10%
39.52
-30%
40.04
-30%
4K Write
175.9
123.8
-30%
120.9
-31%
133.8
-24%
95.8
-46%
Score Total
3938
3310
-16%
4088
4%
2581
-34%
1142
-71%
Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
Sequential Read: 1781 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1515 MB/s
512K Read: 371.4 MB/s
512K Write: 1073 MB/s
4K Read: 61.5 MB/s
4K Write: 195.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 755 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 642 MB/s

GPU Performance

To justify the rather steep price, Schenker Technologies of course, make use of the most powerful laptop GPU at the time of writing. The difference between the GTX 1080 and the GTX 1070 is not quite as pronounces as it is between the GTX 1070 and GTX 1060. Gaming aficionados who want to use 4K at high settings cannot avoid the top-end GPU, however. As shipped, the Pascal-based GPU is not overclocked, so the XMG U727 slightly trails other GTX 1080 laptops with standard overclocking activated. The Asus G701VIK, for example, was about 7% faster when running 3DMark 11 and the 3DMark 13 Fire Strike test.

3DMark
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
7140 Points +3%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
6927 Points
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
5389 Points -22%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
5303 Points -23%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
23091 Points +7%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
22566 Points +5%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
21534 Points
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
21026 Points -2%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
17625 Points -18%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
16757 Points -22%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
31412 Points +7%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
29426 Points
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
28675 Points -3%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
28595 Points -3%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
23170 Points -21%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
22282 Points -24%
Unigine Heaven 4.0 - Extreme Preset DX11
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
140.2 fps +5%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
133.7 fps
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
132.3 fps -1%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
110.4 fps -17%

The XMG U727 utilizes the automatic Turbo of the GeForce GTX 1080 quite well. When we ran Unigine Heaven 4.0 Benchmark, the clock speed levelled out at 1660 MHz, which is right in the middle of the official Turbo range from 1582 to 1771 MHz. Under optimum conditions, the DirectX 12 GPU can top out at over 1900 MHz (GPU-Z render test).

3DMark 11 Performance
21371 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
176244 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
33750 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
17286 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
6616 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Since we have encountered frequent criticism for our stress test - full load with FurMark and Prime 95 does indeed not simulate a very realistic scenario - we have now added a gaming test to our arsenal. To determine how a system reacts under load for extended periods of time, we run the open-world game The Witcher 3 Notebook Benchmarks (1920x1080, ultra) under controlled settings and record the clock rates, the temperature, the power consumption, the noise level, the battery performance and the frame rates with the notebook on external power. The last setting is shown below as a graph.

01234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950515253545556575859606162636465666768697071727374Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra

Aside from the initial period, during which the GeForce GTX 1080 runs at a slightly higher Turbo speed with frame rates of 70 to 74 fps, the notebook comfortably managed 60 to 70 fps during our test, which means that throttling is not an issue. When the XMG U727 runs on battery power, the performance decreases by about 30% and the frame rate drops to 57 fps. The GeForce GTX 1080 can handle most games at a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels and at high to maximum details. Only when we played games that are not optimized all that well - for example “Mafia 3” - the GPU was unable to cope with 4K.

For Honor
3840x2160 High Preset AA:T AF:8x
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
61.1 fps +15%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
59.4 (41.7min - 116.9max) fps +12%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
53 fps
1920x1080 Extreme Preset AA:T AF:16x
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
140 fps +4%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
134.9 (79.4min - 193.3max) fps +1%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
134 fps
Resident Evil 7
3840x2160 High / On AA:FXAA+T
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
78.5 (61min - 93max) fps +41%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
59 fps +6%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
55.6 fps
1920x1080 Very High / On AA:FXAA+T
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
234.1 (191min - 284max) fps +42%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
175 fps +6%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
165 fps
Watch Dogs 2
3840x2160 High Preset
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
45.1 fps +10%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
41.4 fps +1%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
41.1 fps
1920x1080 Ultra Preset
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
78.6 fps +4%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
75.9 fps
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
71.7 fps -6%
Dishonored 2
3840x2160 High Preset AA:TX
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
55.2 fps +6%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
52.3 fps
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
49.2 fps -6%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:TX
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
88.4 fps
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
84 fps -5%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
79.9 fps -10%
Call of Duty Infinite Warfare
3840x2160 High / On AA:FX
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
77.7 fps +6%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
75.7 fps +4%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
73.1 fps
1920x1080 Ultra / On AA:T2X SM
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
125 fps +2%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
125 fps +2%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
122 fps
Titanfall 2
3840x2160 High / Enabled AA:TS AF:8x
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
58.4 fps +3%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
57.8 fps +2%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
56.8 fps
1920x1080 Very High (Insane Texture Quality) / Enabled AA:TS AF:16x
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
141 fps +6%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
135 fps +2%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
133 fps
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
121.5 fps -9%
Battlefield 1
3840x2160 High Preset AA:T
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
60 fps +2%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
58.7 fps
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
57.9 fps -1%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
138 fps +5%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
135 fps +2%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
132 fps
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
106 fps -20%
Mafia 3
3840x2160 High Preset
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
28.4 fps +7%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
26.6 fps
1920x1080 High Preset
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
80.9 fps +6%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
76.5 fps
FIFA 17
3840x2160 High Preset
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
222 fps +4%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
214 fps
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
208 fps -3%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4xMS
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
360 fps +18%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
330 fps +9%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
304 fps
XCOM 2
3840x2160 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
31.7 fps +4%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
30.6 fps
1920x1080 Maximum Preset (8xMSAA instead of FXAA) AA:8xMS AF:16x
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
51.4 fps +2%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
50.4 fps
Mirror's Edge Catalyst
3840x2160 High Preset AF:16x
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
49.9 fps +9%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
45.7 fps
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AF:16x
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
122 fps +1%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
121 fps
The Witcher 3
3840x2160 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
50.4 fps
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
46.8 fps -7%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
34.8 (28min - 39max) fps -31%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
74.9 fps
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
68.5 fps -9%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
57 (47min - 64max) fps -24%
low med. high ultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 139 74.9 50.4
XCOM 2 (2016) 95.7 50.4 30.6
Mirror's Edge Catalyst (2016) 132 121 45.7
FIFA 17 (2016) 315 304 214
Mafia 3 (2016) 76.5 26.6
Battlefield 1 (2016) 147 132 58.7
Titanfall 2 (2016) 143 133 56.8
Call of Duty Infinite Warfare (2016) 125 122 73.1
Dishonored 2 (2016) 107 88.4 52.3
Watch Dogs 2 (2016) 104 75.9 41.1
Resident Evil 7 (2017) 198 165 55.6
For Honor (2017) 173 134 53

Emissions

System Noise

As far as the noise level is concerned, the Schenker notebook behaves much like other high-end laptops. During the 3DMARk 06 benchmark test, the XMG's output fluctuated from a clearly audible 39 dB(A) to a quite noisy 48 dB(A); during the stress test we recorded 52 dB(A). Gaming is not exactly quiet: when we ran our “Witcher 3” benchmark, the XMG U727 produced 51 dB(A) on average, which we found to be quite annoying without headphones - sensitive users in particular might be affected. When using 3D mode, the fans spool up rapidly, but take a while to settle down afterwards. Our review notebook was also affected by coil whine at certain load levels.

Noise level idle
Noise level idle
Noise level load
Noise level load
Noise level speaker
Noise level speaker

When idling, the laptop is surprisingly quiet. The fans are not spinning at all most of the time, so it is only the gentle swooshing sound of the HDD which is audible. Once the HDD turns off, the system  is almost silent. We did not encounter the rapid spooling-up of the fans during idle that many Clevo Barebones are afflicted with. When subjected to low loads (web, video), the notebook quite frequently reaches 40 dB(A), however.

Noise Level

Idle
31 / 34 / 37 dB(A)
HDD
34 dB(A)
Load
44 / 52 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30 dB(A)
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
i7-7700K, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Noise
-2%
0%
1%
6%
3%
off / environment *
30
30
-0%
30
-0%
30
-0%
30
-0%
31
-3%
Idle Minimum *
31
34
-10%
30
3%
33
-6%
31
-0%
34
-10%
Idle Average *
34
35
-3%
31
9%
35
-3%
32
6%
35
-3%
Idle Maximum *
37
37
-0%
36
3%
37
-0%
33
11%
37
-0%
Load Average *
44
39
11%
47
-7%
40
9%
40
9%
37
16%
Witcher 3 ultra *
51
Load Maximum *
52
56
-8%
56
-8%
50
4%
47
10%
44
15%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Gaming notebooks have one major weakness: the temperatures. The XMG U727 is no different and the internal components get quite hot under load. Despite the fact that the notebook's Core i7-7700K is delidded, we still recorded up 100 °C (~212 °F) during the stress test. Throttling was not an issue even though we observed occasional dips to 1.0 GHz. The cores dropped to about 4.0 GHZ only after we ran FurMark and Prime95 for about 60 minutes. The predecessor suffered from heavy throttling despite the less powerful CPU. The graphics card is a different story: although the GeForce GTX 1080 does not get quite as hot at 90 °C (~194 °F), its speed is reduced to 1100 MHz.

Stress test
Stress test
Maximum load top (Optris PI 640)
Maximum load top (Optris PI 640)
Maximum load bottom (Optris PI 640)
Maximum load bottom (Optris PI 640)

Users will not necessarily notice the high temperatures inside: 48 °C (~118 °F) on the top and 56 °C (~133 °F) on the bottom are certainly acceptable, given the huge amount of power. When we ran “The Witcher 3, we recorded an average of 37 °C (~99 °F) and 41 °C (~106 °F) for the top and the bottom, respectively. While idling, the chassis remains between 26 and 35 °C (~79 and ~95 °F), which is an acceptable result.

Max. Load
 46.6 °C
116 F
47.5 °C
118 F
38.4 °C
101 F
 
 39.6 °C
103 F
39.1 °C
102 F
39.6 °C
103 F
 
 25.2 °C
77 F
36.1 °C
97 F
39.5 °C
103 F
 
Maximum: 47.5 °C = 118 F
Average: 39.1 °C = 102 F
56 °C
133 F
55.5 °C
132 F
39.3 °C
103 F
50.3 °C
123 F
45.8 °C
114 F
38.3 °C
101 F
49.9 °C
122 F
40 °C
104 F
30.9 °C
88 F
Maximum: 56 °C = 133 F
Average: 45.1 °C = 113 F
Power Supply (max.)  47.4 °C = 117 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.1 °C / 102 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 47.5 °C / 118 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 56 °C / 133 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.8 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 36.8 °C / 98 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 39.5 °C / 103.1 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-10.6 °C / -19.1 F).
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
i7-7700K, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Heat
18%
10%
10%
14%
18%
Maximum Upper Side *
47.5
39.8
16%
50.9
-7%
44.2
7%
42.9
10%
41.5
13%
Maximum Bottom *
56
47.8
15%
44.6
20%
43
23%
41.5
26%
50.6
10%
Idle Upper Side *
34.5
27.1
21%
29.9
13%
32.4
6%
31.6
8%
26.4
23%
Idle Bottom *
33.6
27.4
18%
28.8
14%
32.8
2%
29.5
12%
25.4
24%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2043.345.22538.338.73133.332.14037.738.75027.930.1632632.68027.641.910025.861.212524.36416023.564.72002465.325023.373.231521.97840020.777.750019.380.163018.88080018.978.4100018.381.8125018.179.2160017.973.3200017.976.8250017.974.4315017.975.6400017.976.6500017.972.9630017.874.280001871.91000017.965.81250017.958.51600017.753.7SPL30.588.8N1.486.2median 18.1median 74.4Delta1.16.235.935.332.435.126.729.235.53832.740.52728.334.334.628.934.724.535.522.641.121.948.323.45221.553.918.95718.456.317.562.117.161.618.862.517.360.617.961.117.363.117.260.117.464.517.360.217.353.517.656.917.557.117.56017.660.817.550.33072.81.431.5median 17.6median 57.11.75.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSCHENKER XMG U727 2017Asus G701VIK-BA049T
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 7.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 8% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 5% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus G701VIK-BA049T audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (73 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 52% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 32% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency Comparison (checkboxes are selectable/deselectable!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Since the laptop utilizes desktop hardware, the power consumption is much higher than that of the mobile-CPU competition. While idling, the XMG U727 requires between 32 and 51 watts - the MSI GT73VR 7RF needs 29 to 40 watts and the Asus G701VIK only draws 24 to 38 watts. Laptops with Nvidia's Optimus technology (dynamic graphics card switching) remain under 30 watts on average. The draw of 350 watts at maximum load explains why Schenker had to include such a large and heavy (1.3 kg / 2.9 lbs) 330 watt power adapter. When running 3DMark 06 and “The Witcher 3”, the notebook required about 138 and 279 watts, respectively.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 / 1.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 32 / 43 / 51 Watt
Load midlight 138 / 350 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.
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
i7-7700K, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Power Consumption
18%
23%
23%
31%
40%
Idle Minimum *
32
29
9%
24
25%
27
16%
24
25%
20
37%
Idle Average *
43
35
19%
31
28%
32
26%
31
28%
27
37%
Idle Maximum *
51
40
22%
38
25%
41
20%
36
29%
31
39%
Load Average *
138
94
32%
98
29%
102
26%
94
32%
86
38%
Witcher 3 ultra *
279
Load Maximum *
350
315
10%
320
9%
248
29%
204
42%
184
47%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Considering the information we have provided thus far, it should not come as a surprise that the battery life is extremely modest. With a 3D run time of 1 hour and 37 minutes with the display at maximum brightness and an idle run time of 3 hours 42 minutes at minimum brightness, the XMG U727 does not exactly cover itself with glory. The 17-inch laptop lasted only 2 hours 48 minutes during the WLAN test - the competitors last at least 3.5 hours or longer.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
3h 42min
WiFi Websurfing
2h 48min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 37min
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
i7-7700K, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 89 Wh
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 75.2 Wh
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 93 Wh
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 88.8 Wh
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 90 Wh
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 83 Wh
Battery Runtime
-5%
28%
28%
17%
24%
Reader / Idle
222
342
54%
313
41%
311
40%
316
42%
WiFi v1.3
168
160
-5%
241
43%
251
49%
210
25%
230
37%
Load
97
83
-14%
90
-7%
84
-13%
91
-6%
H.264
145
204
186
228

Pros

+ UHD display with excellent color space coverage
+ up to 4x RAM and 5x storage drives
+ CPU and GPU are swappable
+ manual fan control
+ individually configurable
+ outstanding performance
+ over-clocking optional
+ many physical ports
+ good input devices
+ powerful sound

Cons

- heavy and bulky chassis
- very high power draw
- short battery life

Verdict

In review: XMG U727 2017. Test model courtesy of Schenker Technologies.
In review: XMG U727 2017. Test model courtesy of Schenker Technologies.

With its high weight (5 kg / 11 lbs), substantial thickness and - last but not least - exorbitant price, the XMG U727 from Schenker Technologies will appeal to only a very small number of notebook users.  

Demanding core gamers opting for this notebook will end up with an exceedingly fast high-end notebook suitable for nearly all conceivable tasks. The XMG U727 is very easy to maintain and upgrade; with its socket-based CPU, MXM GPU, four RAM slots and five storage drive slots, the 17-inch notebook is also quite future-proof. The port selection is also excellent and with 2x Thunderbolt 3, the technology is about as good as it gets.

The input devices are very good and the 4K display with G-Sync support is outstanding with the color space coverage in particular reaching reference level. Speaking of reference level: the sound quality is top notch - a rarity in the notebook sector. As far as the emissions (noise level, temperature) are concerned, the results are not outstanding, but at least they are average.

In short: fans of high-resolution displays who would like to play modern games in all their (graphics) glory will find the XMG U727 to be an exceedingly fast companion.

SCHENKER XMG U727 2017 - 03/09/2017 v6(old)
Florian Glaser

Chassis
78 / 98 → 79%
Keyboard
83%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
73 / 81 → 90%
Weight
38 / 10-66 → 49%
Battery
68%
Display
91%
Games Performance
99%
Application Performance
98%
Temperature
81 / 95 → 85%
Noise
69 / 90 → 76%
Audio
90%
Average
79%
88%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Schenker Technologies XMG U727 (Clevo P870KM-GS) Laptop Review
Florian Glaser, 2017-03-17 (Update: 2018-05-15)