Aorus X5 V7, X7 V7, DT X7 all estimated for June release in USA

The latter I think. The whole point of the system is to be like a desktop but as compact as possible. 330w bricks are huge!

Besides, I was able to overclock the v6 DT and get results that were practicly the same as the AW17. Only difference is there's more overhead to overclock further on the AW17 but it requires you to overhaul the cooling.

 

What kind of UV+OC settings do you think it will take to get the scores of 17k-ish?

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I have been scowering the internet trying to find the X5v7 reviews.

Specifically the battery life in very low resource intensive scenarios. (like notes taking in class).
Anyone have an idea?

 

Assuming you aren't using the GPU luck, you should get 3ish hours if you get the 4k model and keep the screen brightness low. I have no numbers for the 3k screen

 

Would be getting the 3K model since I cant find any mention of the 4k one besides "Soon"
And yeah, I understand this model doesn't have the optimus or a MUX switch. (which is a huge bummer). But I was curious if I could drop the GPUs power target like bitcoin miners do. To extend the battery life while everything else is in power saver.

 

Those scores. Might as well be driver related. I recently ran 3D Mark again with the latest dirver (384.94)

-> Although I kept optimising my machine I could not reach the score I got back then ;-)

Still I do not want to sit with the old drivers just for the sake of having the longest ... bar.

All the best to you!

phila

 

I can only speak for the X7 DT V6 but unfortunately there was no improvement when using a 330w PSU instead of the regular 230w PSU. Seems to be locke Bios side - which is a pitty due to the CPU throtteling issues quite a few people reported on the aorus forums:

When there is heavy load on CPU and GPU the GPU takes away most of the power and will cause the CPU drop to base clock -> I sent in a ticket about this and Aorus replied that dropping to base clock technicaly is not throtteling ;-)

Funny thing: As soon as I undervolt the GPU, the CPU will keep its high clocks (even with oc on all cores).

In this regards I am quite happy that Aorus at least equipped the X7 DT V7 with a 265w PSU.

Best regards

phila

 

Thanks for the update!

 

@Darkhan

When you get your x7 DT, please keep an ear out for a fan clicking noise. I hear it occasionally either when the fans ramp up and the PC goes under heavy load or when it's cooling down. The noise sounds electrical like a fan or something but it could also be thermal. I'm just curious if it's widespread or just my unit.

 

I won't have a full review for a week or so but here's a spoiler on the x7 DT v7.

-So far, benchmarks are on par with the AW17 R4. Witcher 3 is a tiny bit less but Doom runs a tiny bit better. OCing isn't as good as on the AW17 and it's probably because of the diff in power adapters.
-fans are 40dB at ear level but the actual noise is a little more annoying than the x5 MD. In other words, it seems a lot louder even though it's only a 2 dB difference. Similar to an AW17 though.
-underbelly gets HOT!!! 60C at my hottest point! The excessive amount of vents are good enough to game on your lap if you don't mind 3rd degree burns though.
-speakers are pretty decent. Headphone jack DAC is awesome.
-120Hz screen is the exact same panel as the updated AW17 r4. No interlacing, issue like last year. Good viewing angles, very bright, decent colors, so-so contrast ratio. Easily my favorite laptop screen or at least my second fav.
-They changed the body style. It's metal on top and bottom but they are connected by a plastic edge. So there's a seam all around on the top. Mine has a small gap at the lights and they shine through a tiny bit. Annoying but I could live with it.
-Overall build quality is good but I think the v6 felt more sturdy. They could have put a couple more screws on the bottom...

 

Since this thread covers 3 different models, it would be helpful to all if you were to put the specs either in your post, or better, in your signature, so we know exactly which model, and specs, you are talking about.

 

Oops, you're right. fixed

 

Cool...and so you don't have to do it every time, put the model and specs in your signature

 

Is that the QHD or UHD you're talking about there? I'm a disappointed X5 MD owner getting sub-1070 performance and I'm probably going to return it to get a X7 DT v7 - but I've learned in the last few days that I hate gaming in a non-native res (i.e. 1080p on 4k panel). So (assuming even the DT can't really push 4k at 60FPS with ultra settings) I want to get the QHD, but I've only ever used IPS panels. Appreciate your thoughts.

EDIT: from cross-checking with your post in OCUK forum here ("I would totally have bought the x7 DT 4k if it wasn't so overpriced from the QHD model. I realize that there is a better SSD and more RAM...") I guess you are talking about the QHD model.

EDIT2: Damn it, I hadn't actually realised until I saw that post of yours that the X7 DT v7 CF-2 (with QHD screen) only comes with 16GB RAM, which is an issue for me as, in the daytime, this machine's going to be running at ton of VMs. So I'm stuck with, sooner or later, a pair of 8GB sticks to sell... or buying the CF-1 and getting a 4K screen that I probably can't run in its native res at ultra detail. :-(

 

Especially the "no" interlacing sounds good. The interlacing on my model does not borther me enough to go and change the entire system, but it is nice to know!
Could you post a picture of the "connected by plastic edge", you wrote about. I can not imagine what this might look like.
I as well read that now there is custom fan curve control. This sounds nice (I`m going to try of Aorus Command and Control will let me use this feature as well ^^)

Best regards!

phila

 

From your first impressions, seems like the AWR4 is still a better system?

 

I'm using the QHD. I'm sure it'll drive many games at 4k 60fps but you'll definitely not be in ultra for some of them. Newer games will struggle, for sure. There are 66% more pixels to drive from qhd 120hz to 4k 60 hz, and I don't even get 120fps on all the games I'm testing (Witcher 3 for example).

It's a tough call switching to Tn if you've never used one. In gaming, you probably won't even tell the difference and you might even like the Tn better, because of the response time and higher refresh rate. But you'll have to get used to a lower contrast ratio and poor vertical viewing angles. Horizontal angles on this screen are fine, but looking from underneath the picture is impossible to make out. From above it's just washed out a little bit still not ideal.

I was torn between the screens, for sure. Aorus is probably using the same 4k screen as the AW17 as well, another great panel. The cost Aorus is asking is too high though and there's a good chance you'd be dealing with backlight bleed issues with the IPS panel.

Hope this helps.

 

@Derek712 :

1. To what extent are you able to OC the CPU+GPU (if at all) before you start hitting power adapter limits? Does it hit power limits at stock?
2. What sort if temperatures are you getting? What sort of temperature drop should one expect if it is repasted with LM by a reseller? (I'm tagging @iunlock for this since he is the God of LM)
3. How is the trackpad?
4. How portable is the laptop?

Thanks in advance.

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Depends on what system you get. I had major issues on the QHD 1080 version with stuttering after long gaming sessions. I spent nearly 4 hours with Dell customer support and they couldn't fix it. After a replacement that had the same issue, I gave up. A lot of people on the forums defend the issue, saying you can fix it by repasting and rebuilding the heatsink. But it's not a sure thing, and after reading the 2x 3x 4x 5x attempts for a couple people's rebuild attempts, I didn't want to even try.

AW17 is potentially better, but I think the Aorus X7 dt has some advantages as well. It's smaller and lighter, which is huge to me. The track pad is way way better. The multicolored keyboard is pretty cool. The custom fan and overclock profiles is a really nice feature as well.

I'll probably end up sticking with the Aorus mainly because it works lol. That stuttering was ridiculous...

 

I'll take one later tonight. I might be making it sound worse than it really is. It's just not what I was expecting.

 

1. I'll have more details later in the week but I've only been able to get about 4-5% with the GPU. The CPU is a mixed bag because you start hitting thermal limits on one of the cores. I was able to undervolt to correct it but command and control doesn't like playing with Intel XTU, so I wasn't able to get good benchmarks with a GPU OC as well. I should have time in the next couple days to really sit down and push it harder. I'm just trying to get the easy stuff tested first.

2. For heavy having, I'm getting mid to high 80s on the CPU and high 70s low 80s on the GPU. LM would be ideal for the CPU to eliminate throttling when overcloked. Maybe the GPU too but non-conductive paste would probably be just as fine.

3. Smooth and easy to track and make multi touch gestures. It's not as sensitive as I would like for small movements, but I'm getting used to it. It's good enough for me and better than average, on my opinion.

4. Depends on what you mean by portable. . As far as 17" laptops go, it's VERY portable in comparison. The only one more portable is the GS73VR but that only has a 1060. This one is bigger and barely fits in my backpack, but at least it fits!(ebags professional slim)

 

@matzie75 Adding more RAM is surely the cheaper route. I priced all the components and the 4k model is about $250-300 overpriced. Heck, you can buy that 4k screen for $100 on eBay and upgrade it yourself, if you're handy enough.

 

Thanks a lot for the clarification.

Does the laptop hit power limits at stock? If not, can it handle CPU@4GHz (if it needs an undervolt to achieve that, how much of an undervolt? ) and stock GPU without power-throttling?

Thanks in advance.

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Some pics of the Gap and plastic edging

 

[QUOTE="Derek712, post: 10574441, ]

4. Depends on what you mean by portable. . As far as 17" laptops go, it's VERY portable in comparison. The only one more portable is the GS73VR but that only has a 1060. This one is bigger and barely fits in my backpack, but at least it fits!(ebags professional slim)[/QUOTE]

The new MSI GS73VR comes with a Max Q 1070.

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Dang, those two gaps would annoy the crap out of me. Just looks sloppy and its like getting a new car and someone dings your door, most people wont notice it but in your eyes it sticks out.

 

The pictures make it look worse than it really is, but yes I don't like it either.

 

I just did a stock clock Time spy run and got a power draw of 233W. I increased the single core to 4.2Ghz and quad core to 4.0Ghz and reran the test. Power draw was 250W but my CPU hit the thermal limits. Reran it with a modest .070mV undervolt and got the same power draw and sat just shy of the thermal limit. There's still a little bit of room for GPU OC but not much. It'll probably be a battle for power between the CPU and GPU.

 

@Derek712

Based on what you know so far, is the X7 DT v7 1080 worth the $400 upgrade over the X7 v7 1070 model?

 

Considering the only difference is the video card, it's a pretty steep upgrade fee. I would think a $200 difference would be more appropriate. I think it's worth the savings if you're not hell bent on the 1080

 

Yeah, $200 would've been a nice price. I wonder if they would sell more DT at that price or not.

 

Does anyone have a proper battery test on the x5v7 yet with under volt and battery saver on. Would be really nice to know if anyone has a full review yet. (apparently still not on notebookcheck).

 

I have been searching the internet for weeks trying to find real reviews of it. I guess only a few people actually have one, and of those few. Many end up returning it.
No battery checks yet. I keep seeing estimated battery life numbers. But nothing real. If you find something let me know.

 

light internet use ~ 3 hours
heavy internet use ~ 2-2.5 hours
idle ~ 4 hours
Youtube at QHD ~ 3 hours
Gaming .5-1 hour

This is the QHD 1080 version of the x7 DT. The 1070 version is probably very similar. The 4k version is almost definitely worse. I'll put more details up when I'm done with my review.

 

My review of the x5 MD is here, if anyone is interested.

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/17254-aorus-x5-md-review/

 

This is for the X7?

 

X7 dt

 

Nice review, after reading it, I wished I gave the X5 x7 a chance before returning it for the X7 v7. Did the keyboard on the X5 MD seemed crowded compared to the X7 DT due to the size?

 

Afaik it's the exact same keyboard. The x7 is only 1.4 inches wider than the x5 and the space on the sides is about 3/4" bigger so it matches up.

 

would be nice if I could find a place that has skins for the X7, I really hate the logo.

 

I think your best bet is to DIY, I thought about making one myself but after using it for a period of time, it didn't bother me anymore. Guess it depends on how bothersome they are for you when you get yours. Would a skin on the track pad cause any issues, as in the track pad doesn't register your touch or whatnot?

 

I have tried them before on the trackpad and felt like I lost some precision and also had to touch a little harder. Trust me I would love to cover that one arm eagle on the trackpad.

 

Ouch, that sucks.

 

Can the Backlit Eagle on the lid be turned off? Razer added that option and I liked it much better off.

 

No, it's directly connected to the backlight. Only way to turn it off is to convert it up or disassemble the screen and cover it from behind.

 

UGHHHH...... thanks.

 

At least the lid can be easily covered up with a sticker or cutout. The trackpad is more of a pain since you need to get the size 'perfect' and there's worries about lost sensitivity....which is still worth it. If I keep my x5 that just got shipped, I'll probably look to see if a company like dbrand makes a skin for a laptop with a similar trackpad size that I can re-purpose for the x5. I feel like the only reason we're having this discussion is because the CEO's 10 year old son walked in and said he wanted his trackpad to glow, because I can't imagine how a room of adults would arrive at such a decision.

 

You're underestimating the attractiveness of glowing things to the gamer community. It's like light kits on cars, some people think they're tacky, some people think they're awesome. As long as people who think they're awesome have disposable income, it's not going away.

Also before you speculate, I totally will admit to being part of the problem. Everything I DIY lately I have found a way to integrate lighting into.

 

And that's the TRUTH!

Those that don't like it will find something else they like better, or, will realize this is something that just goes along with the benefits of the laptop, and accept it for what it is.

 

Yup... Unfortunately that's the case. No matter where you go, there something to deal with.

Asus= red highlights, glowing red logos and extra glowy WASD. Zephyrus has blinding red side lights that illuminate my walls?!
Razer= green glowing snake triangle, LEDs everywhere imagineable(except for the secondary keys)
MSI= glowing dragon logo, weird font on keys, eye catching power buttons, red lasers for indicators that light up your shirt.
Alienware= glowing alien head with lights so over the place. Glowing Alienware text on the screen, in case you forget what brand you have.
Acer Predator= extra glowy WASD and arrow keys, red accents and a butt ugly logo
Aorus= glowing eagle head with an arm growing out it's neck, bright colored eagle trackpad.

The only exceptions are Clevo and Gigabyte, which offer some more plain versions in addition to the gamer looking laptops.