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Schenker XMG P506 (Clevo P651RE) Notebook Review

Hardware update. 2015 is the year of Intel’s brand-new Skylake generation, which not only offers a better performance but also improved power efficiency. The XMG P506 from Schenker Technologies is a surprisingly thin gaming notebook that utilizes all advantages of the modern technology.

For the original German review, see here.

Similar to the thicker 15-inch sibling XMG U506, which was reviewed here, it is possible to configure the XMG P506 very comprehensively on the manufacturer’s homepage. It starts with the GPU, which is based on Nvidia’s Maxwell generation. It does not matter if you select the GeForce GTX 970M or the GeForce GTX 980M: The XMG P506 will be shipped with G-Sync in both cases. This advanced version of adaptive V-Sync avoids line adjustments and optimizes the image flow at the same time (more information about G-Sync is available in the review of the Asus G751).

You can also choose between two models for the processor. The Skylake chips Core i7-6700HQ (2.6-3.5 GHz, 6 MB L3 cache) and Core i7-6820HQ (2.7-3.6 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache) support Hyper-Threading and have a TDP of 45 Watts each. Another highlight is the DDR4 memory: Schenker uses up to 32 GB clocked at 2133 MHz. There are even more options for the storage solution. Inside the chassis are two M.2 slots, and one of them supports PCIe and NVMe, which can be expected for a current gaming notebook. Furthermore, you get two 2.5-inch slots for HDDs, SSDs and hybrid drives.

The wireless module is either provided by Intel (Wireless-AC 3160 and 8260, respectively) or Qualcomm Atheros (Killer Wireless-AC 1525). The keyboard model, the warranty period and the operating system can be customized as well. Fans of ultra-high-resolution displays will not be happy: The 15.6-inch non-glare IPS panel "only" features the standard Full HD resolution with 1920x1080 pixels.

Prices of the XMG P506 start at 1549 Euros (~$1759), but you should expect to pay around 2000 Euros (~$2272) when you upgrade the memory, include a Solid State Drive and Windows 10. The most extreme configuration can cost as much as 5000 Euros (~$5680, most expensive upgrades in all categories).

SCHENKER XMG P506
Processor
Intel Core i7-6700HQ 4 x 2.6 - 3.5 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 924 MHz, Memory: 2500 MHz, GDDR5, ForceWare 353.62, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, 2x 8 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-RAM (2400 MHz), 2 of 4 Slots occupied, up to 64 GB
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, Samsung 156HL01-102 (SDC324C), IPS, Full HD, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Sunrise Point HM170
Storage
Samsung SM951 MZHPV256HDGL m.2 PCI-e, 256 GB 
, SSD + Western Digital Blue WD10JPVX-00JC3T0, 1000 GB HDD @5400 rpm, Slots: 2x M.2 (Type 2280) withPCIe & NVMe support + 2x 2.5-inch
Soundcard
Realtek ALC892 @ Intel Sunrise Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: headphones, microphone, S/PDIF (5.1 out), Card Reader: MMC,RSMMC,SD,Mini SD,SDHC,SDXC, 1 Fingerprint Reader, SIM-card slot
Networking
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-N 7265 (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25 x 385 x 271 ( = 0.98 x 15.16 x 10.67 in)
Battery
60 Wh Lithium-Ion, 4 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: FHD (2 MP)
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0 Onkyo (Sound Blaster X-Fi MB5), Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Power adaptor: 180 Watts, Drivers DVD, Cleaning cloth, Key chain, XMG sticker, MS Office 365 Trial, Control Center, 24-36 Months Warranty
Weight
2.66 kg ( = 93.83 oz / 5.86 pounds), Power Supply: 598 g ( = 21.09 oz / 1.32 pounds)
Price
2007 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Control Center - System
Control Center - System
Control Center - Device
Control Center - Device
Control Center - Gaming
Control Center - Gaming

Case

Depending on your GPU selection, the XMG P506 is based on another chassis. While the GTX 980M is sitting inside the 2.9 cm high P651RG barebone, the GTX 970M is located in the P651RE chassis, which is four millimeters thinner. The weight, on the other hand, is similar (~2.6-2.7 kilograms). We already reviewed the similarly designed predecessors P651SG and P651SE, so we won't have a closer look at the chassis, the connectivity and the input devices in this article.  The only bigger changes regard the software and hardware.

  • Chipset: HM170 instead of HM87
  • Processor: Skylake instead of Haswell
  • Graphics card: GTX 980M with 8 instead of 4 GB VRAM, GTX 970M with 6 instead of 3 GB 
  • Memory: DDR4 instead of DDR3
  • Storage: M.2 with NVMe support
  • Battery: FlexiCharger only charges the battery when the capacity drops below 80%
  • BIOS: Manual deactivation of Optimus possible
  • Ports: No more eSATA
  • Sound: X-Fi MB5 instead of MB3
  • General: G-Sync, video ports are now connected to the dedicated GPU

We were not able to check all the features (including X-Fi MB5 and G-Sync) due do the pre-production status.

Display

The Full HD display of the XMG P506 differs from the old model. Chassis manufacturer Clevo switches from the AU Optronics B156HAN01.2 to the Samsung 156HL01-102, which produces worse measurements. The XMG P506 does manage a higher luminance (~300 vs. 274 cd/m²) and a wider color gamut (96 vs. 81% sRGB), but the XMG P505 has the edge in all the other categories.

309
cd/m²
320
cd/m²
309
cd/m²
304
cd/m²
310
cd/m²
306
cd/m²
268
cd/m²
282
cd/m²
281
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Samsung 156HL01-102 (SDC324C) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 320 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 298.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 310 cd/m²
Contrast: 886:1 (Black: 0.35 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
96% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
63% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
68.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
96% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.4% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.53

It starts with the contrast, which is now around 900 instead of 1200:1, but this is subjectively hardly visible. The reason for the deficit is the higher black value; 0.35 cd/m² means that black areas appear a bit grayish (XMG P505: 0.24 cd/m²). Still, the differences are not huge, especially since both panels perform very similar in the CalMAN tests (grayscale, gamma, saturation).

SCHENKER XMG P506
Samsung 156HL01-102 (SDC324C)
SCHENKER XMG U506
LG Philips LP156WF6 (LGD046F)
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
AU Optronics B156HAN01.2 (AUO12ED)
SCHENKER XMG P505
Sharp LQ156D1JX01B (SHP142A)
SCHENKER XMG A505
AU Optronics B156HAN01.2 (AUO12ED)
Display
-9%
-5%
-4%
-2%
Display P3 Coverage
66.4
63.8
-4%
63.8
-4%
64.1
-3%
66.1
0%
sRGB Coverage
96
83.4
-13%
90.1
-6%
92.3
-4%
92.1
-4%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
68.6
61
-11%
65
-5%
64.9
-5%
67
-2%
Screen
-10%
6%
26%
17%
Brightness middle
310
298
-4%
286
-8%
345
11%
284
-8%
Brightness
299
276
-8%
274
-8%
333
11%
275
-8%
Brightness Distribution
84
85
1%
85
1%
86
2%
87
4%
Black Level *
0.35
0.42
-20%
0.24
31%
0.21
40%
0.23
34%
Contrast
886
710
-20%
1192
35%
1643
85%
1235
39%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.1
5.26
-28%
3.84
6%
3.02
26%
2.46
40%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.7
5
12%
5.06
11%
3.6
37%
2.3
60%
Gamma
2.53 87%
2.46 89%
2.4 92%
2.39 92%
2.32 95%
CCT
7454 87%
6965 93%
6165 105%
7317 89%
6393 102%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
63
55
-13%
59
-6%
59
-6%
60
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
96
83
-14%
91.1
-5%
92
-4%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-10% / -10%
1% / 4%
11% / 18%
8% / 12%

* ... smaller is better

You should calibrate the display if you want to use the XMG P506 for professional picture and video editing. Our screenshots below show that the picture quality can be improved significantly.

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 P506 vs. sRGB
Schenker XMG P506 vs. sRGB
Schenker XMG P506 vs. AdobeRGB
Schenker XMG P506 vs. AdobeRGB

Contrary to the XMG U506, we could not notice annoying screen bleeding, even though the brightness distribution could be more precise (85%). The XMG P506 works pretty well outdoors. 300 cd/m² is sufficient if you avoid a place directly under the sun.

Thanks to the IPS technology, the viewing angles are convincing as well. There will only be deviations from an angle from above or below, respectively.

Note: The Schenker homepage lists the LG Philips 156WF6-SPB1 (similar to the XMG U506), so the final product might not use the panel from Samsung.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

Our review unit was equipped with 16 GB DDR4-RAM (2x 8 GB dual-channel), a small 256 GB M.2-SSD and a 1,000 GB HDD. You also get a Core i7-6700HQ and a GeForce GTX 970M.

Processor

We already mentioned that Schenker uses Intel’s Skylake architecture for the XMG P506. The biggest addition of the new CPU-series is the manufacturing process. While the Haswell chips are manufactured in a 22 nm process, Skylake is based on a 14 nm process.

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

The two generations hardly differ in respect of the performance. Clocked at 2.6-3.5 GHz, the Core i7-6700HQ reminds us of the Haswell predecessor i7-4720HQ (2.6-3.6 GHz) or i7-4710HQ (2.5-3.5 GHz), respectively, which is also supported by our benchmarks. It does not matter if you stress one or all cores: The advantage is not even 10% compared to the XMG P505 in Cinebench R15. If the difference of a Haswell notebook is bigger, it is because of a limited or deactivated Turbo (see XMG A505).

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5093
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
20133
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6830
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.69 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
7.48 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
53.1 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
146 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
680 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
66.3 fps
Help

The automatic overclocking worked really well on the XMG P506. We were able to measure between 3.1 and 3.5 GHz depending on the number of active cores. The Turbo was even still active (~2.8 GHz) in the stress test with the tools FurMark and Prime95, which causes many laptops to throttle.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
SCHENKER XMG P506
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
146 Points
SCHENKER XMG U506
Intel Core i5-6600K
166 Points +14%
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
Intel Core i7-4710HQ
135 Points -8%
SCHENKER XMG P505
Intel Core i7-4870HQ
142 Points -3%
SCHENKER XMG A505
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
142 Points -3%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
SCHENKER XMG P506
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
680 Points
SCHENKER XMG U506
Intel Core i5-6600K
601 Points -12%
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
Intel Core i7-4710HQ
660 Points -3%
SCHENKER XMG P505
Intel Core i7-4870HQ
709 Points +4%
SCHENKER XMG A505
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
538 Points -21%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
SCHENKER XMG P506
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.69 Points
SCHENKER XMG U506
Intel Core i5-6600K
1.88 Points +11%
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
Intel Core i7-4710HQ
1.55 Points -8%
SCHENKER XMG P505
Intel Core i7-4870HQ
1.62 Points -4%
SCHENKER XMG A505
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
1.57 Points -7%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
SCHENKER XMG P506
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.48 Points
SCHENKER XMG U506
Intel Core i5-6600K
6.93 Points -7%
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
Intel Core i7-4710HQ
7.2 Points -4%
SCHENKER XMG P505
Intel Core i7-4870HQ
7.53 Points +1%
SCHENKER XMG A505
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
5.87 Points -22%

System Performance

The system performance is defined by the storage solution nowadays, and Windows does not really feel snappy without a Solid State Drive. The boot times, installations and application launches sometimes take much longer. The loading times in games are often much longer as well.

To get the most out of the XMG P506, we selected an SSD with a PCIe-x4 interface. The PCMark 7 score shows that the model does more than a decent job. An overall score of 6228 points deserves credit, even though other gaming notebooks are on a similar performance level (e.g. the Gigabyte P34W v3, the Gigabyte P37X or the Asus G751JY).

PCMark 7 Score
6228 points
Help
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
SCHENKER XMG P506
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZHPV256HDGL m.2 PCI-e
6228 Points
SCHENKER XMG U506
GeForce GTX 980M, 6600K, Samsung SSD SM951 512 GB MZHPV512HDGL
7064 Points +13%
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
GeForce GTX 980M, 4710HQ, Micron M600 MTFDDAV256MBF M.2
6054 Points -3%
SCHENKER XMG P505
GeForce GTX 970M, 4870HQ, Samsung SSD XP941 MZHPU256HCGL
6332 Points +2%
SCHENKER XMG A505
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Micron M600 MTFDDAV256MBF M.2
6042 Points -3%

Storage Devices

Fast, faster, Samsung SM951: This would be the appropriate short description of the PCIe model. The SSD is not limited by the SATA-III interface of common Solid State Drives, so the drive manages much higher sequential transfer rates. 1656 and 1269 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark surpass a standard model by the factor three. Only a RAID configuration consisting of multiple SSDs can keep up with the Samsung SM951.

A conventional hard drive is the better solution for larger file collections (movies and so on) due to cost reasons. Even though experienced users can notice a difference between 5400 and 7200 revolutions per minutes, we think that a less expensive option like the Western Digital Blue is sufficient. The 1 TB model manages more than 100 MB/s.

Samsung SM951 MZHPV256HDGL m.2 PCI-e
Sequential Read: 1656 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1269 MB/s
512K Read: 1098 MB/s
512K Write: 1251 MB/s
4K Read: 44.05 MB/s
4K Write: 111.3 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 337.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 294.5 MB/s

GPU Performance

Is the GTX 980M worth the money? That basically comes down to your demands. If you want high-quality anti-aliasing and high resolutions like 3K or 4K, the GTX 970M has much less headroom. 1920x1080 pixels is not a huge problem for either card, so the additional price of 372 Euros (~$422) appears a bit steep. One example would be the 3DMark Fire Strike test. The review configuration of the XMG P506 scores 7595 points, which is a very good result. The GTX 980M is almost 30% faster (9970 points @XMG U506), but the difference is usually smaller in games.

3DMark 11 Performance
9627 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
91765 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
21881 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6672 points
Help

A few more words about the technology: Nvidia uses the Maxwell architecture for the GeForce 900-series that uses a 28 nm architecture. While the previous top model (recently replaced by the GTX 980) is clocked at 1038-1127 MHz and has 1536 CUDA cores, the GTX 970M gets 1280 shaders and a core clock of "only" 924-1038 MHz. Video memory is not an issue, although the GTX 980M does have a wider interface (256 vs. 192-bit).

3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
SCHENKER XMG P506
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
6672 Points
SCHENKER XMG U506
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
8246 Points +24%
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
8335 Points +25%
SCHENKER XMG P505
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
6429 Points -4%
SCHENKER XMG A505
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
4071 Points -39%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics (sort by value)
SCHENKER XMG P506
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
7595 Points
SCHENKER XMG U506
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
9970 Points +31%
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
9807 Points +29%
SCHENKER XMG P505
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
7268 Points -4%
SCHENKER XMG A505
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
4418 Points -42%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
SCHENKER XMG P506
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
9627 Points
SCHENKER XMG U506
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
11079 Points +15%
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
11134 Points +16%
SCHENKER XMG P505
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
9770 Points +1%
SCHENKER XMG A505
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
5639 Points -41%
1280x720 Performance GPU (sort by value)
SCHENKER XMG P506
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
9967 Points
SCHENKER XMG U506
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
12824 Points +29%
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
12758 Points +28%
SCHENKER XMG P505
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
9907 Points -1%
SCHENKER XMG A505
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
5446 Points -45%

Gaming Performance

The GeForce GTX 970M performs very well in the native resolution (1920x1080). Four out of five games ran smoothly at the highest settings and with activated anti-aliasing. Even Batman: Arkham Knight, which caused big troubles at launch, ran at more than 40 fps with the performance patch (at least in the benchmark). Only The Witcher 3 stuttered in the highest preset.

low med. high ultra
Dirt Rally (2015) 275.9 144.9 114.4 59.7
The Witcher 3 (2015) 139.1 83.3 45.8 25.7
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 119 105 59 41
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 59.9 59.9 59.9 59.9
Mad Max (2015) 159 81.2 74.5

Emissions

System Noise

The noise development is similar to the version with the GTX 980M. You can only slightly hear the XMG P506 while idling; fans and HDD murmur at 31-33 dB(A). The cooling solution does, however, pulsate occasionally without apparent reason. 36 dB(A) is not disturbing by any means, but the temporary rpm increase will be annoying for some users.

The system noise of the XMG P506 is average under load. 42 dB(A) on average during 3DMark06 and 51 dB(A) during the stress test are typical for a gaming notebook. Noise-sensitive users should still look for an alternative. The bulkier P751DM barebone only reaches 45 dB(A) under maximum load, and the Asus G751JY is even quieter at up to 41 dB(A).

Noise Level

Idle
30.8 / 32.8 / 35.9 dB(A)
HDD
33 dB(A)
Load
42.2 / 51 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)
SCHENKER XMG P506
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
SCHENKER XMG U506
GeForce GTX 980M, 6600K
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
GeForce GTX 980M, 4710HQ
SCHENKER XMG P505
GeForce GTX 970M, 4870HQ
SCHENKER XMG A505
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ
Noise
6%
0%
-4%
1%
Idle Minimum *
30.8
31
-1%
30.4
1%
30.2
2%
29.2
5%
Idle Average *
32.8
32.4
1%
33.6
-2%
34.4
-5%
30.8
6%
Idle Maximum *
35.9
33.8
6%
36.6
-2%
38.2
-6%
42.6
-19%
Load Average *
42.2
37.6
11%
43.4
-3%
46.6
-10%
41.6
1%
Load Maximum *
51
44.8
12%
47.8
6%
50.6
1%
43.8
14%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

Considering the powerful hardware and the thin chassis construction, it is not surprising that the XMG P506 gets pretty hot during gaming. We were able to measure up to 49 °C at the top and 60 °C on the bottom after one hour of sustained load. Gaming sessions are still no torture as long as you do not use the notebook on your lap, since the palm rest only reaches 32 °C, which is very comfortable. The whole chassis is surprisingly cool while idling; we measured 28 °C on average.

The components do not get too hot, either. The GeForce GTX 970M only reaches 72 °C, while the Core i7-6700HQ leveled out between 80-85 °C according to CPUID HWMonitor. The Schenker XMG U506, on the other hand, reached more than 95 °C in extreme scenarios.

Max. Load
 48.1 °C
119 F
48 °C
118 F
44.1 °C
111 F
 
 49.3 °C
121 F
44.4 °C
112 F
36.3 °C
97 F
 
 32.1 °C
90 F
30.6 °C
87 F
28 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 49.3 °C = 121 F
Average: 40.1 °C = 104 F
41.1 °C
106 F
60.4 °C
141 F
54.6 °C
130 F
37.1 °C
99 F
44.7 °C
112 F
56.7 °C
134 F
35.2 °C
95 F
38.8 °C
102 F
39.7 °C
103 F
Maximum: 60.4 °C = 141 F
Average: 45.4 °C = 114 F
Power Supply (max.)  56.4 °C = 134 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40.1 °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 49.3 °C / 121 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 60.4 °C / 141 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.5 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.1 °C / 89.8 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-3.2 °C / -5.8 F).
SCHENKER XMG P506
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
SCHENKER XMG U506
GeForce GTX 980M, 6600K
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
GeForce GTX 980M, 4710HQ
SCHENKER XMG P505
GeForce GTX 970M, 4870HQ
SCHENKER XMG A505
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ
Heat
-10%
-1%
-11%
-18%
Maximum Upper Side *
49.3
49.7
-1%
54.2
-10%
50.7
-3%
56.4
-14%
Maximum Bottom *
60.4
62.1
-3%
59.4
2%
75.8
-25%
61.8
-2%
Idle Upper Side *
31.4
36.8
-17%
30.8
2%
36.5
-16%
41.3
-32%
Idle Bottom *
32.3
38.7
-20%
31.1
4%
32.7
-1%
40.2
-24%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

You can read all about the sound quality in the review of the predecessor.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Despite the slightly higher performance, the Skylake CPUs are more frugal than their Haswell counterparts. While the XMG P505 with the Core i7-4710HQ still consumed 12.0-22.2 Watts, our measurement device only showed 10.5-20.7 Watts for the XMG P506 with the Core i7-6700HQ, which also explains the slightly better battery runtime.

The notebooks are not comparable under load since the GeForce will be deactivated in 3D scenarios. We were particularly impressed by the maximum consumption. While we still criticized the insufficient power adaptor (150 Watts) in the first review, the new 180-Watt module is not really challenged. The situation probably changes with the i7-6820HQ and GeForce GTX 980M.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 10.5 / 14.6 / 20.7 Watt
Load midlight 81.8 / 146.3 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
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 P506
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
SCHENKER XMG U506
GeForce GTX 980M, 6600K
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
GeForce GTX 980M, 4710HQ
SCHENKER XMG P505
GeForce GTX 970M, 4870HQ
SCHENKER XMG A505
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ
Power Consumption
-75%
-20%
-57%
-17%
Idle Minimum *
10.5
23.1
-120%
12
-14%
19.9
-90%
11.2
-7%
Idle Average *
14.6
27.6
-89%
17.8
-22%
24
-64%
18.6
-27%
Idle Maximum *
20.7
35
-69%
22.2
-7%
32.6
-57%
26
-26%
Load Average *
81.8
110.2
-35%
94.2
-15%
110.6
-35%
100.2
-22%
Load Maximum *
146.3
237.2
-62%
207.5
-42%
203
-39%
147.6
-1%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

Thanks to the Optimus technology, the XMG P506 can realize decent battery runtimes. We determined 5 hours and 14 minutes in the Battery Eater Reader's Test that scrolls through a text document. The battery managed almost 1.5 hours in the much more challenging Classic Test, and you should expect between 2-3 hours when you browse the web or watch a video.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
5h 14min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 38min
SCHENKER XMG P506
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
SCHENKER XMG U506
GeForce GTX 980M, 6600K
SCHENKER XMG P505 PRO
GeForce GTX 980M, 4710HQ
SCHENKER XMG P505
GeForce GTX 970M, 4870HQ
SCHENKER XMG A505
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ
Battery Runtime
-9%
-4%
-37%
10%
Reader / Idle
314
210
-33%
298
-5%
174
-45%
352
12%
Load
98
113
15%
96
-2%
71
-28%
105
7%

Verdict

Pros

+ up to four storage drives
+ individual configurations
+ stylish metal chassis
+ illuminated keyboard
+ moderate weight
+ switchable graphics
+ really good sound
+ Skylake processor
+ many ports
+ thin construction
+ no bloat ware
+ DDR4-RAM
+ IPS panel
+ PCIe-SSD
+ G-Sync

Cons

- high temperature & noise development under maximum load
- CPU and GPU soldered
- screwed battery
Schenker XMG P506. Test model courtesy of Schenker Technologies.
Schenker XMG P506. Test model courtesy of Schenker Technologies.

Even though the XMG P506 does have issues, the 15-inch notebook is one of the best and especially most compact gaming laptops on the market. Not every manufacturer manages to put a luxury GPU and a quad-core CPU in a chassis that only weighs 2.6 kilograms and is less than three centimeters high. Some competitors are already pretty loud and warm while idling. The cooling solution of the XMG P506, on the other hand, only gets to its limits when you really stress it.

The whole device leaves a pretty sophisticated impression in general, including the port variety and the illuminated keyboard. Both the sound system and the touchpad are above-average as well. There is also praise for the IPS panel and the numerous features (especially G-Sync). Individualists and upgrade fans will be happy about the configurator and the possibility to use two M.2-SSDs (1x with PCIe or NVMe).

The overall rating of the XMG P506 is 86%, which means the device can secure a top position in our mobile Gaming ranking.

SCHENKER XMG P506 - 04/08/2016 v5(old)
Florian Glaser

Chassis
79 / 98 → 81%
Keyboard
80%
Pointing Device
83%
Connectivity
59 / 81 → 72%
Weight
59 / 10-66 → 88%
Battery
63%
Display
88%
Games Performance
89%
Application Performance
95%
Temperature
75 / 95 → 79%
Noise
68 / 90 → 76%
Audio
75%
Average
76%
82%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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Florian Glaser, 2015-10-16 (Update: 2018-05-15)