Schenker XMG C506 (Gigabyte P35X v5) Notebook Review

Apart from its slightly different lid, the 15-inch device is identical to Gigabyte's original. As can be read in the review of the P35X v5, the chassis scores with high-quality materials, slim build and good stability. The design is relatively unobtrusive, which is also positive in the author's opinion. The build, as typical for Gigabyte, is on a mediocre level. Closer inspection reveals some slightly uneven transitions.

While the review sample of the P35X v5 was equipped with a UHD screen (3840x2160 pixels), an FHD panel with 1920x1080 pixels is installed in the XMG C506. However, this is not a bad decision when looking at the computing requirement. Even the GTX 980M often finds its limits with 4K solutions.

It is rather too bad that the LP156WF4 panel has relatively high response times when switching from gray to gray. However, subjectively, we did not observe streaking. Note: Our measurements are all based on the Smart Manager "Native Color" mode.

We configured the 15-inch device with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and a combination of SSD and HDD so that the XMG C506 has a fair chance against the high-end opponents. The GTX 980M costs 236 Euros (~$267) more than the GTX 970M. Buyers will have to decide whether this upgrade is justifiable. The latter GPU calculates approximately 30% faster.

The XMG C506 maintains the Turbo as long as it is not loaded with extremely demanding tools. The clock rate decreased only marginally in our stress test made up of Prime95 and FurMark. However, 2.8 GHz are still decent. It throttled below the standard rate only for a short time.

Thanks to the high clock rates, the performance plays in the major league. The outcomes in the Cinebench test correspond to the expected high-end level achieved by  other Core i7-6700HQ laptops, no matter whether Schenker's XMG A516 or Gigabyte's P55W v5. The more expensive Core i7-6820HK  delivers only marginally more performance than the XMG P506 displays.

Regardless of whether GTX 965M, GTX 970M or GTX 980M: Virtually all gaming opponents surpass 6000 points in PCMark 7. The XMG C506 is no exception here. Fast booting times and a system that generally responds lag free underlines this good outcome. Great: As expected from Schenker, no bloatware is preloaded on the storage device.

Although PCIe drives achieve impressive rates on paper, a SATA III SSD suffices the needs of most users. The 250 GB version of Samsung's 850 EVO in the review sample does a good job even without PCIe support. However, 507 MB/s in sequential read and 460 MB/s in sequential write cannot compete with Samsung's SM951 (Gigabyte P55W v5, P35X v5) or 950 Pro (Schenker XMG A516, XMG P506).

But let us be honest: Higher score are rarely a decisive advantage. The performance with small files is primarily significant in Windows routine. And the SSD type barely has an impact here. The M.2 drive is accompanied by a 2.5-inch, 1000 GB hard drive that spins at 5400 revolutions per minute. The Western Digital Blue climbs to 110 MB/s in the CrystalDiskMark test, which is pretty good for an HDD.

The lower-priced Maxwell chips are not ready for the junkyard, even after the launch of the GeForce GTX 980. While the GTX 980M can boast with 1536 Shaders and 4 to 8 GB of GDDR5 memory (256-bit interface), the GTX 970M has 1280 arithmetic units and 3 to 6 GB of VRAM (192 interface). Like Intel's processors, the Nvidia GPUs also feature automatic overclocking that speeds up the core by several percent during higher load. In the case of the GTX 970M, up to 1038 MHz is possible, rather than 924 MHz (1127 MHz @GTX 980M). Turbo is always active in standard 3D applications. We could only provoke throttling via the GPU-torturer FurMark.

A look at the Fire Strike test of 3DMark 13 reveals that the GeForce GTX 970M is fairly centered between the GTX 980M and GTX 965M from 2016. The latter marks the entry in the Core division. The GTX 960M price-performance tip is too slow for passionate gamers.

Our benchmarks confirm that the GeForce GTX 970M copes decently with current games. Users who deem 30 or 40 FPS as playable and do not have problems with occasional lags can also play the 2016 edition of "Need for Speed" and "Hitman" as well as "The Division" and "Far Cry Primal" in maximum details. Otherwise, high settings would be the right choice.

We only had problems with "Assassin's Creed Syndicate" that categorically refused to launch with the preloaded driver (ForceWare 354.35). An update to the latest 364.72 version via "GeForce Experience" fixed the bug. However, maximum settings are not possible due to the extreme requirements. More information about the performance of various graphics cards can be found in our games list and in the GPU section.

Power Consumption

Despite the identical processor, other GTX 970M laptops consume less energy. The XMG C506 surpasses Gigabyte's P55W v5 by 19% with 14 - 22 watts in idle mode and 87 - 157 watts in 3D load. Meanwhile, laptops based on GTX 980M units need approximately 20% more power.

Thanks to the strong 76 Wh battery, the runtime can compete with the opponents. The XMG C506 managed roughly five hours in our Wi-Fi marathon that we test using medium brightness and the "Balanced" energy profile - quite a decent outcome considering the hardware performance. Gigabyte's P55W v5 lasts longer thanks to it lower energy requirement - despite the weaker battery.