(June 5, 2019: Added two more laptops to the list - the Maingear Pulse 15 and the Digital Storm Nova 15.)
If you're in the market for a 15-inch gaming laptop, you don't have to look at the common big brand names like MSI, Alienware, Asus, Gigabyte, or Razer. Resellers like CyberPowerPC, Schenker, Origin PC, Computer Upgrade King, Eluktronics, and even WalMart all have their own 15-inch offerings with many of the same performance and design features as the more well-known alternatives. Potential buyers, however, should realize that many of these systems are actually the same.
Many resellers like the aforementioned six do not design their own laptops and instead re-badge a white-label chassis to call their own. It just so happens that these resellers have re-badged the same 15.6-inch white-label chassis called the Tongfang GK5CQ7Z or GK5CN6Z. As a result, these shops are essentially selling the same or very similar hardware with nearly identical CPU, GPU, RAM, and display options.
The following 15.6-inch laptops all use a 15.6-inch Tongfang design:
- CUK Model Z
- CyberpowerPC Tracer III 15Z Slim
- Eluktronics Mech-15 G2
- Schenker XMG Neo 15
- Origin PC RTS EON15-S
- Walmart Overpowered 15
Is there a reason to choose one particular reseller over the other when the product is almost the same?
Prices will vary between the different resellers and so most users will naturally gravitate toward the lowest-priced option. Still, users may want to consider the different warranty and customer support between the shops as well.
See our reviews on the Schenker XMG Neo 15 and CUK Model Z for more details on the Tongfang chassis. Our comments apply to all the above laptops since they essentially share the same skeleton and innards.