New Aorus X5 (GTX 965M SLI) and X3 (GTX 970M)

thanks for the update. is this actually as good as they say it is?

 

AORUS X5 - 3K G-SYNC panel w/ GTX 965M SLI

 

Aorus X5 hands-on

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/134...-powerful-15-inch-gaming-laptop-ever-hands-on

 

Looks beautiful. Seems like it's a more complete product (in terms of build quality and engineering) than both the X3+ and the X7.

 

I tried the X3 when it originally came out and was very underwhelmed at the quality of the track pad. Anyone hearing if they've updated that for the X5? That's kind of a deal breaker for me since I'm a spoiled rMBP user. Specs on this look pretty amazing though. I'm not familiar with the SLI configuration that much - I've read it can cause issues in certain games. Is there a way to disable one of the cards if that happens? What games are known to have issues with SLI?

 

Personally, I always prefer using mouse. For what it's worth, though, looks like Aorus/Gigabyte have put some effort into the glass trackpad design on the X5: http://tinyurl.com/pqlks6w

 

Sweet, looks like they are doing some upgrades on it. Thanks for sharing that. I've seen a few different pics and videos of this now - some have the trackpad centered, others have it off centered. Anyone confirm where it's placement will actually be?

 

The touchpad has been off-center since the refresh. If you want the most up-to-date photos of this machine instead of renders, check out Pocket-lint's article. Minor changes may still be made, but what they have should be representative of the production model.

 

Just to clarify the 8GB VRAM on the GPU's for the X5, you get a total of 4GB's not 8GB's as advertised , you can only use the VRAM of 1 GPU and not combine both for 8GB's..... That's not how it works for SLI laptops.
Saying that at least it's the 4GB version of the 965M and not the 2GB but most importantly is how the 15" chassis handles hardware heat and fan noise, I have no problem spending the money if everything is handled relatively well but if it runs hot and loud ( which unfortunately these thin and lite powerhouses generally do ) I can't see myself being a adopter.
I can deal with higher then "normal" ( for gaming laptops) temps but loud fans are a deal breaker in my book.

 

Now available for pre-order in the UK:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=LT-012-AU

Apparently to be available in June.

 

like 3k usd, damn. was hoping for 2.4 or so.

 

On sale newegg-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=34-725-010
$2299 USD

 

Guys and gals, I had to sign up just to point this out, the X5 IS NOT A 4K RESOLUTION. They even state it is 3K at 2880 x 1620 resolution!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=34-725-010

Please check your specs before making assumptions, unless this is a newer revision of the X5?

 

thanks for this, i play on playing games at 1080p anyway, but will this make a big difference elsewhere?

 

The lower 3K 2880 x 1620 resolution is half the pixel count of 4K 3840 x 2160 (4,665,600 pixels vs. 8,294,400 pixels respectively). So, yes, that makes a huge difference comparing those two. 3K vs 1080p is also very different going from 4,665,600 pixels at 3K to 2,073,600 pixels at 1080p. You can think of this as adding another 1080p monitor to your computer (likewise 2x 3K monitors to achieve 4K). Can it handle 2x monitors at 1080p? Do searches on GPU's at higher resolutions than 1080p and you'll see a higher resolution makes a huge impact.

Whether 4GB is enough for 3K I haven't done much research, but my 2560 x 1600 monitor at home takes up a lot more resources to play at native resolution with my MSI 6970 Lightning 4GB GPU than at 1080p. The 965M SLI in the Aorus X5 would be able to handle most games at 3K at highest settings, but games with extreme texture resolution like BF4 or other newer ones will be pushing that 4GB of VRAM. I wouldn't go for anything less than 6GB of VRAM for 3K or above. I just don't have the money to upgrade my home GPU :-(

Hope this is of help.

 

How's the battery life? About to pull the trigger on this need at least 4

 

Don't know, don't have it. Can only speculate that with these specs I wouldn't expect more than 4 hours.

*Edit* Apparently the X7 and X5 have the same battery at 73.26Wh
Another forum showing the X7 life based on Watt/hour calculation estimates around 25 minutes at full load from Strawberry Guardian:
http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/159336-gigabyte-aorus-x7/?hl=860m

Here is a review of the X7 for comparison; before you pull the trigger, check it out. More info from someone actually using a similar product couldn't hurt:
http://www.kitguru.net/laptops/leo-waldock/aorus-x7-pro-v3-cf1-review/

 

Got our review unit and here are some info and benchmarks, we are working on our detail unboxing video and should be up this weekend

 

Those cpu temps...

So the display is 60hz not 75hz?

 

Yeah, its 60hz.

 

GPU-Z 0.8.4 should show the information properly for the GPUs

Looks like you're enjoying the computer thus far.

Have you been able to check out how long the battery lasts?

 

I haven't but will try tonight or tomorrow and report back. Yeah the X5 is just so nice, my wife came home last night and she even commented on it about how sleek and sexy it looked. Its like the Louis Vuitton on laptops, MSI/ASUS/AW are like Tommy Hilfiger and Polo, nice but not Top Tier IMO.

 

Ah, it has the same panel as the MSI GT60 Dominator (Panasonic VVX16T029D00), not the Gigabyte P35X (Panasonic VVX16T028J00).

Am I the only one who finds it strange that the GPUs can run that cool ( max 65°C) when the CPU gets burning hot (max 97°C)? I shouldn't have to point it out, but the score of P10802 is quite a bit lower than the advertised P12000+. At least Aorus didn't nerf the TJUNCTION of 105°C like Asus did with the NX500 (70°C).

 

I'm pretty sure the P12,000 score Aorus is advertising is the GPU score not the overall score. Which in that case would be P12,334.

Of course I could be wrong.

 

You are 100% correct. I'm a little disappointed because they promised faster than a 980m. Ive got performance almost identical to a 980m. Not horrible obviously but also not what I expected.

Of course the form factor is amazing and g-sync is everything it's hyped to be

N


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

I'm also with @Convel on the temperature difference. There's a 30C difference between the GPU and CPU. Wonder what the second GPU max temp was.

Maybe a repaste might help.

 

Our review video is up, enjoy

 

Ken, in the review video you mention that there is no backlit keyboard on the X5, but that is actually incorrect. The X5 has a white backlit keyboard, just not an RGB one that is found on many high end gaming laptops today.

 

Early indications on this were good. But the reviews do not present a compelling case to buy IMHO. The temps are not encouraging and the Dual 965M SLI appears to be no better than a 980M. It seems this would be on a par with about a Sager 8652, which works out about 100-200 cheaper. Not seeing the case to be made for this one. Disappointing.

 

While the Sager 8652 is a fine machine for the price, keep in mind that the X5 has features other than the SLI cards that justify the price. It's the ONLY laptop on the market with a hardware stream engine, which will be huge if you happen to be a streamer and want to be mobile. It's also the only 15" laptop thus far (i'm sure there will be more in the next few cycles) that has the G-Sync tech built in. Those two additions alone easily justify the extra cost for the right buyers.

 

Wondering how the track pad is. I had purchased the X3 when it was first released and returned it (for a myriad of reasons), but high among the list was the track pads lack of responsiveness. Anyone have some thoughts or experience with this new model and if they updated the quality of the track pad?

 

What reasons did you have? I'm looking to buy an Aorus this fall (waiting for black friday deal) but would like to know more about the brand, please share your experience if you would, thanks

 

I just got schooled.

This may be the first time I've heard about the screen being non-glossy. Perhaps my panel assumption based on the hardware ID MEI96A2 was unfounded.

It was also my understanding that all X5s came with white backlighting, but kickback's post made me wonder. Neither of the photos make any form of backlighting evident. The white letters and symbols even vaguely look to be part of stickers.

 

The Aorus x5 does have keyboard backlighting. If you look at the space key you see it has the LED illumination hotkey.

 

Here's the review I posted last year when I had purchased the X3 Plus and sent it back. So far, based on the info I've seen on the X5, looks like a lot of these have been upgraded/updated (e.g. keyboard flex, *some* heat issues, etc.) Just really hoping the trackpad is more responsive than the X3 Plus is. I've used a rMBP for so long, I've become a complete track pad snob. It's terrible. Hope this helps.

Aorus X3+:
Enjoyed:
- Super sleek design - looks like a stealth bomber, but nothing gaudy; perfect size to carry around, really light
- Screen - great resolution like RB and MSi
- Lack of bloatware (Aorus is made by Gigabyte so it has the same useful programs the p35w v2 has - fan control, WIN key lock, etc)
- SSD and RAM upgradeability (16gb and lots of choices on HD and SSD)
- Chasis - all aluminum build, very solid
- Ports - for a 13.9" laptop, this one has it all - plenty of ports
- Macro keys (5 of them on left side with multiple configuration options, both in game and for general use. Also can be color coordinated; adds nice touch to the white back lite keyboard)
Disliked:
- Speakers - like the p35w v2, just not good
- Heat/Noise - should've put this comment with the p35w v2 as well. The fan throttles up to it's "max" settings whenever the CPU gets to 90c or higher. It will run that high till it drops 5 degrees. Problem is, the lag time between running 90c and 85c is like, 4 minutes. So the fans are constantly running super loud, then medium loud. The back and forth started to give me a nervous twitch after a while. Other than that the heat was bearable, much like the p35
- Trackpad. It's glass. Best way to describe is that it's like the face of an iPhone. I just wasn't feeling it. Was like my fingers kept getting "stuck" on the glass surface. Responsiveness was good, but I just couldn't get used to it
- Screen size - know it's listed at 13.9", but I swear it felt a lot smaller then the RB, which is listed at 14". I must be getting old
- Power brick - again big and heavy. If RB can make a small PB for a larger laptop with less specs, Aorus should be able to as well
- Keyboard flex here as well, although not as bad as the p35w v2; mostly contained to center of keyboard

 

Yeah that was a mistake, it does comes with backlight keyboard as standard. for some reason it wasn't turned on at the time by default so the narrator thought the backlight wasn't the feature.

 

Another one:

Aorus X5 review

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/aorus-x5-1296172/review

 

I just received my X5, and I can tell you that your concerns about the trackpad have been addressed. The only way I enjoyed using the trackpad on the X3 was to use the included plastic film to cover it. The trackpad surface on the X5 is not glossy like on the X3. I really can't tell if it's a frosted glass (similar to MacBooks) or if it's some other material. My fingers were still sticking to it at first, but after about 15 minutes of normal use, the stickiness went away. It might be due to the natural oil from my fingers on the trackpad, but it feels great now.

The bottom portion of the trackpad is still buttons only, meaning the entire trackpad surface is not usable for pointer movement or scrolling. They did make the surface textured where the buttons are, so you can physically tell when you've reached the end of the tracking surface, unlike the X3.

Although the trackpad is a frosted glass(?) material, it does still attract fingerprints, though it's not as bad as the glossy surface of the X3.

There are only two changes I can think of that would make this trackpad just about perfect for myself. First, I'd prefer to have the entire surface of the trackpad to be usable for tracking, instead of making the bottom 1/4th for left/right buttons only. And second, there is not an option for inertial scrolling within the Elan configuration. There is an option for auto-scroll (I can't remember if that option was available on the X3 or not), but it just doesn't seem as natural as the inertial scrolling that many other trackpads have.

Another issue I heard about was the fan noise. When I began the initial setup process, the fans were very loud (I was also doing this at my office, which is a very quiet environment). After the setup completed, the COMMAND & CONTROL app opened up, and I noticed the fan speed was set to "Gaming". After changing the fan speed to "Quiet", it was extremely quiet. I'll try running some benchmarks with different fan speeds later tonight, and I'll post my results here. For a comparison of the fan noise, it's definitely not any louder than my MSI GS60 (the fans of my GS60 3K are nearly intolerable) when set to "Gaming".

Overall first impressions on my end are pretty good, but it is just a first glance. I haven't had time to try running any benchmarks or games yet. If anyone has any questions about the X5, let me know and I'll be happy to answer.

 

Can anyone that has received theirs already comment on battery life? The Tech Radar review says battery is bad, like less than 2 hours bad. I'm sure it's not good, but I was hoping for at least 3 hours on battery. Not having optimus seems like it might really hurt the X5 from a portability aspect.

On another note, my X5 will be here tomorrow, so I will make sure to post my initial thoughts and possibly an unboxing video.

 

This is great to hear - I'm really glad that they spent some time upgrading the trackpad. Thanks also for the feedback on the fan noise. The X3 Plus model I had included this feature as well (fan adjustment). I never really tested it under load, so I'll be interested in hearing what your results are after you do some benchmarking. If it's usable with the fans on quiet while sitting on a cooling pad, I'll be a happy camper.

 

Wow, 50% performance loss with G-Sync enabled? Is that right? Anyone know if the other machines with G-Sync are having that same issue? Seems excessive.

And who's Origin? I've never heard of them before and there isn't a section for them on the forums. Anyone know about their products? Web site looks pretty legit as do their machines.

 

I ran the PCMark Home Battery test on my X5 to test the battery life when doing things like web browsing, text editing, minor photo editing, and video chat. The battery life is worse while doing video chat compared to text editing, but the test gives a good balance between everything. I did not let the battery run down completely since I still have work that I need to do on it, but I let it run down from 100% to 80%.

In my first test, I left SLI enabled, turned the fans to Quiet Mode, and had the screen brightness at the default for balanced power, which is around 25% brightness. It took right around 30 minutes to drain the battery down to 80%, so that would give about 2.5 hours on a full charge.

For my second test, I turned SLI off and dropped the screen brightness to the minimum, and I calculated about an extra 15 minutes of battery life.

So in regards to Tech Radar's review, they're probably right about getting under 2 hours of battery life if you're doing something like video editing or gaming. However, if you're doing something like word processing with the best power settings, I bet you could squeeze 3 hours out of it.

I wanted to address some of your dislikes of the X3 to help you out with making a decision for the X5.
- Speakers - They're okay.. If you go into the speaker properties and enable the equalizer, you can probably find a setting that gives a better sound. I personally liked the Live and Club settings.
- Heat/Noise - With the fans set to Quiet, it is very quiet when the fans do kick on, but during light use, they'll go for a while without spinning at all. The bottom did get a little warm with the lowest fan setting under light use, but it's really not bad. As I'm typing this (nothing else being run), the CPU is at 50C and the GPUs are at 46C.
- Power brick - So the x5 comes with a 200W power adapter, but I have not taken it out of the box yet. Coming from an MSI GS60 and an Aorus X3+, I have a few 150W power adapters lying around. The output voltage is the same at 19.5V, but it's just a lower amperage than the 200W power adapter. I haven't tested under a heavier load, but the 150W adapter powers and charges the X5 just fine under lighter loads. So if you wanted a small and light adapter for travel, you could get Razer's 150W adapter for the Blade or Blade Pro, and it will work.
- Keyboard flex - My X3+ did have keyboard flex, but I didn't mind it too much. But if the flex was an issue for you, it won't be on the X5. This thing is solid! I've been pressing around and I have yet to find a weak spot.


I didn't have time to perform any other benchmarks or tests tonight, but I should have time over the next couple of days. And again, if there's anything in particular you guys would like me to test, just let me know.

 

Origin is a Clevo reseller/builder, just like Sager, Digital Storm, Mythlogic, etc EON is one of their notebook lineups, just FYI

 

Nice, thanks for that info. Any idea on the quality of their products?

 

I never use any of their laptops so can't comment on that, but if I'm not mistaken they used to be Alienware engineers (Alienware used to be a Clevo reseller/builder themselves).

 

Can someone please comment on the flex of the screen? I heard that previous models of the aorus had build quality issues with the bezel + screen.

 

To me the flex in the screen isn't that bad. I had worse flex in the GS60 Ghost, and I didn't consider that to be horrible either.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I hope you realize that this is a subjective issue, if you're coming from macbook then expect to be disappointed since macbook has the sturdiest screen/hinge, so I suggest you see it for yourself

 

In the time I have spent with the X5, I'd say that the screen flex and hinge are the biggest flaws of the unit. The build quality of the display housing seems to be better than my X3+. On my X3+, there were small gaps between the bezel and rear housing. On the X5, the bezel is slightly recessed into the rear housing and gives the entire assembly a stronger build.

The screen has a pretty good amount of flex to it, and I think a big part of that is because of the hinge. With units like the MSI GS60, the hinges are on the outer edges of the display, which seem to make it feel a bit sturdier. With the hinge of the X5 being in the middle of the display and about 80mm between the hinge and the edge of the display on either side, it's noticeable that this is part of the screen flex issues.

For the hinge itself, when opening and closing the display "properly", it feels great. It's not too weak, but not so firm that it requires two hands to open and close. Since the hinge is centered, the display has to be opened by lifting from the center. Trying to lift from one of the corners just makes the screen flex, and although the display housing feels sturdy, I don't want to apply any additional pressure in attempts to open the display from the corners. The screen also wobbles a lot if you move the notebook with the display open. If you have the notebook sitting on a desk, you won't notice any screen movement if you type with an average amount of force. If you're a heavy typist, you may notice the screen wobbling a bit. And by heavy, I mean I had to type so forcefully, that it was uncomfortable. If you work with the notebook on your lap or another non-rigid surface, you'll probably notice the screen moving around.

I completely agree with SeagateBoy about this topic though. The screen flex is going to be relative to what you're used to using. Comparing to a MacBook Pro and Dell XPS 15, I notice a good amount of screen flex in many of the other thin gaming notebooks I have tried. To give you my personal opinion about the screen flex, I would prefer the hinge to be a bit more rigid to prevent the display from shaking as much while moving, since I often use the notebook on my lap. However, this would not be reason enough for me to return the unit without taking everything else into consideration.

 

Update: Gigabyte has informed TechRadar that a new BIOS update has fixed a bug that caused Nvidia's G-Sync technology to drag down the Aorus X5's performance. We've since installed the new firmware and retested the laptop to find the solution has indeed fixed the problem.