AVADirect D900F Review

by Kevin O'Brien

One of the main factors between notebook and desktop hardware has always been that desktops get the faster processors. Those processors put out more heat, consume more power, and are larger in size, which usually prevents installation into notebooks. The AVADirect D900F aims to change that, offering configurations that include the new Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition processor. Pair that with an NVIDIA 280M GTX graphics card, 6GB of DDR3 memory, and a 17" WUXGA display, and you get an extremely fast mobile workstation or gaming rig.

AVADirect D900F Specifications:

• Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit)
• Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition Processor (3.33GHz, 8MB L2, 1066MHz FSB)
• Intel X58 + ICH10R chipset
• 17.1" WUXGA Ultra Bright Glossy LCD display at 1920x1200
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M 1GB GDDR3 memory
• Intel 5300AGN Wireless
• 6GB DDR3-1333 SDRAM (2GB x 3)
• 30GB x 2 OCZ Vertex in RAID 0, 500GB Seagate 7400.4
• DVD SuperMulti /BD-ROM
• webcam, stereo speakers
• 220W (20V x 11A) 100-240V AC Adapter
• 12-cell 95Wh 14.4v 6600mAh Lithium Ion battery
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 15.62" x 11.42" x 2" - 2.36"
• Weight: 12lbs 0.1oz, 14lbs 15.6oz with AC adapter
• 1-Year Standard Limited Warranty
• Price as configured: $3,900

Build and Design
The AVADirect Clevo D900F appears at first glance to be a bit lacking compared to most notebooks on the market, with function being more important than form in the design phase. The look and feel seems dated compared to other notebooks on the market and the quality of the plastics seem underwelming for a notebook with such a high starting price. If this were any other notebook we might say there is no excuse for it, but then you realize it was designed to handle a desktop-class processor, high-end graphics card, and all of the cooling for that equipment.

The build quality of notebook is in the same category as the design; more emphasis was placed on performance than build quality and the end result is flexible plastic and a not-so-durable feeling chassis. The screen lid has some give to it, and the palmrest and keyboard could probably use some additional support. While the outside could use a face-lift the inside looks amazing. After you remove two access panels and the battery you have direct access to multiple heatsinks and cooling fans, the graphics card, processor, RAM slots, dual hard drive bay, and single additional drive bay. You can tell that most of the design went into cooling the notebook, most likely to prevent it from bursting into flames when the Intel Core i7 processor is under significant load.

Screen and Speakers
For high-detail gaming the AVADirect Clevo D900F offers a 17.1" WUXGA (1920x1200) LCD, which in our testing turned out to be quite nice. At full brightness it is easy to view even in a brightly lit office, although with the glossy surface it might not hold up well to outdoor viewing. Vertical viewing angles are average compared to other WUXGA panels we have seen, with about 25 degrees of play forward or back before colors start to distort. Horizontal viewing angles are much better, with colors staying true to roughly 75 degrees to each side. Beyond that angle, reflections overpower the picture displayed on the screen. While gaming we didn't notice any sort of lag or streaking.

Speaker performance is weak compared to other large gaming notebooks, but this isn't unheard of on some high-end gaming notebooks that are running cramped on space. The speakers have little bass or midrange, sounding very tinny at higher volume levels. While the speakers might work well for a small dorm room, headphone or external speakers would be the most preferred option.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on the D900F is a full-size model with number pad. Spacing is average compared to most notebook keyboards, with some slightly condensed function keys on the left side of the keyboard. Gamers will enjoy the proper control key position, in the far lower left-hand corner, instead of an Fn key. Support underneath the keyboard could be better as there is some slight give under harder typing pressure. Individual key action is smooth with only a mild, almost-muted click given off when pressed. While you might get away with stealth typing on the D900F in a classroom, the fan noise will definitely give you away.

The touchpad is an appropriately sized Synaptics model, with a nice, mildly textured matte surface. It is snappy and responsive, with no lag noticed while gaming. Sensitivity is excellent, even with the default settings. The touchpad buttons are the shallow feedback kind, needing a solid positive press to activate. When pressed they give off a soft click sound, not that loud compared to the fan noise of the notebook while gaming.

Ports and Features
Considering the overall size of the D900F, we expected it to have a greater port selection. That being said, it rates about average compared to other gaming notebooks on the market. In total this notebook has four USB ports, one eSATA, HDMI, DVI, FireWire, TV, modem, LAN, and audio jacks. For expansion it offers an ExpressCard/54 slot and SDHC multi-card slot.

Front: Line-in, digital audio out, microphone, headphones

Rear: AC power, DVI

Left: HDMI, eSATA, CATV, modem, LAN, FireWire 400, ExpressCard/54, SDHC multi-card, optical drive

Right: Four USB, Kensington lock slot.

Performance and Benchmarks
It is almost difficult to describe how fast this notebook is in normal operation. With the Intel Core i7 975 processor, 6GB of RAM, and OCZ Vertex drives in RAID 0, the Clevo D900F blasts through any task you can think of. Installing software happens abnormally fast, boot and shutdown times are very quick, and game load times are phenomenal. Going back to my ThinkPad T60 to type this review felt like I was transitioning to my parents' 10-year-old desktop. To give you an idea of how fast this processor is, the previous "fastest" notebook in our office was an ASUS W90, scoring 23.5 seconds in wPrime when overclocked to 3.3GHz. This system finishes wPrime in an amazing 7.2 seconds! PCMark05 also increased significantly, jumping nearly 6,000 points over the ASUS W90.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

Notebook / CPU	wPrime 32M time
AVADirect D900F (Core i7 975 @ 3.33GHz)	7.206 seconds
ASUS W90Vp-X1 (Core 2 Duo T9600 @ 3.29GHz)	23.494 seconds
ASUS N90SV-A2 (Core 2 Duo T9550 @ 2.66GHz)	28.485 seconds
Sony VAIO FW (Core 2 Duo T9400 @ 2.53GHz)	30.373 seconds
Dell Studio 17 (Core 2 Duo T9300 @ 2.50GHz)	31.574 seconds
Dell Studio XPS 16 (Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz)	31.827 seconds
ASUS F50SV-A2 (Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz)	31.857 seconds
Gateway P-7805u FX (Core 2 Duo P8400 @ 2.26GHz)	34.287 seconds
HP Pavilion dv6z (AMD Athlon X2 QL-64 @ 2.10GHz)	38.519 seconds

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

Notebook	PCMark05 Score
AVADirect D900F (3.33GHz Core i7 975, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M 1GB)	14,971 PCMarks
ASUS W90Vp-X1 (3.29GHz Intel T9600, Dual ATI Radeon Mobility 4870 1GB)	9,056 PCMarks
Gateway P-7805u FX (2.26GHz Intel P8400, NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS 1GB)	6,637 PCMarks
ASUS N90SV-A2 (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9550, NVIDIA GeForce GT 130M 1GB)	6,464 PCMarks
Dell Studio XPS 16 (2.4GHz Intel P8600, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3670 512MB)	6,303 PCMarks
ASUS F50SV-A2 (2.4GHz Intel P8600, Nvidia GeForce GT 120M 1GB)	6,005 PCMarks
Sony VAIO FW (2.53GHz Intel T9400, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470)	6,002 PCMarks
Dell Studio 17 (2.50GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9300, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650)	5,982 PCMarks
HP Pavilion dv6z (2.10GHz AMD Athlon X2 QL-64, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4530 512MB)	4,119 PCMarks

3DMark06 graphics comparison against notebooks @ 1280 x 800 resolution (higher scores mean better performance):

Notebook	3DMark06 Score
ASUS W90Vp-X1 (3.29GHz Intel T9600, Dual ATI Radeon Mobility 4870 1GB)	15,628 3DMarks
AVADirect D900F (3.33GHz Core i7 975, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M 1GB)	14,824 3DMarks
Gateway P-7805u FX (2.26GHz Intel P8400, NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS 1GB)	9,190 3DMarks
ASUS N90SV-A2 (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9550, NVIDIA GeForce GT 130M 1GB)	5,778 3DMarks
ASUS F50SV-A2 (2.4GHz Intel P8600, Nvidia GeForce GT 120M 1GB)	5,152 3DMarks
Dell Studio XPS 16 (2.4GHz Intel P8600, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3670 512MB)	4,855 3DMarks
HP Pavilion dv6z (2.10GHz AMD Athlon X2 QL-64, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4530 512MB)	3,254 3DMarks
Dell Studio 17 (2.50GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9300, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650)	2,974 3DMarks
Sony VAIO FW (2.53GHz Intel T9400, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470)	2,598 3DMarks

HDTune had trouble reporting the full speed of the two OCZ SSDs in RAID 0, so we are also including ATTO to better show what these drives are capable of:

Gaming performance was excellent, even without SLI or CrossFire graphics. For our review we ran Call of Duty 5, Left 4 Dead, BioShock, and Crysis: Warhead. We ran each game with high detail settings (Warhead on gamer mode), in both 1280x800 and 1920x1200 resolutions. Call of Duty 5 played between 85 frames per second (FPS) and 90FPS depending on the amount of action on the screen at 1280x800 resolution, and slowed to 45-55FPS at 1920x1200. Left 4 Dead had much higher framerates, which had greater variance depending on the amount of action on screen. At 1280x800 resolution framerates varied between 200FPS and 240FPS. Switching to 1920x1200 resulted in varied speeds between 130FPS and 180FPS. Bioshock at 1280x800 showed speeds between 120FPS and 130FPS, and at 1920x1200 slowed to 66FPS to 72FPS. While those three games were fairly easy for the AVADirect D900F to handle, Crysis: Warhead proved to be more of a challenge for the D900F, running at slightly lower speeds than the ASUS W90 with CrossFire graphics. With Crysis: Warhead set to "Gamer" detail mode at 1280x800 resolution speeds ranged between 30FPS and 35FPS. At 1920x1200 framerates dropped to 17-22FPs, still kind of playable, but some tweaking would be needed for longterm gameplay. Overall while speeds would be better with two graphics cards, the D900F still proved to be more than capable for all of the games we tested on it with a single GTX 280M.

Left 4 Dead @ 1280x800	Left 4 Dead @ 1920x1200
Crysis: Warhead @ 1280x800	Crysis: Warhead @ 1920x1200
Call of Duty 5 @ 1280x800	Call of Duty 5 @ 1920x1200
Bioshock @ 1280x800	Bioshock @ 1920x1200

Heat and Noise
Fan noise was above almost all the other notebooks we have reviewed, having four high speed fans to cool the various internal components. The processor has two fans to itself, one for the system memory, and the forth for the graphics card. Under light use most of the fans are off or spinning very slowly. Under stressful activity such as running benchmarks or gaming the fans kick on loud enough to be heard in a decent sized room. Gaming in a classroom would be possible, if only because the battery wouldn't last long enough to annoy those around you.

Heat output is substantial while gaming, but the constant flow of air from the four cooling fans keeps the chassis temperature within reasonable levels. The pictures below show the temperature readings off various spots on the chassis after stressing the system for 15 minutes. The palmrest and keyboard are kepy fairly cool, with most of the hotter parts along the back edge near the processor and GPU. After gaming with this notebook on my lap for one night I can say I wasn't burnt, but the weight on my legs was just as bad.

Battery
I do have to admit that the first time we saw the specifications for this notebook, we bet it would probably get between 15-20 minutes when unplugged. For a notebook that consumes 75 watts at idle, the battery is more like a battery backup. With Vista set to the Balanced mode, screen brightness at 70%, and wireless active the AVADirect D900F stayed on for 1 hour and 8 minutes before abruptly turning off. Very impressive given the Core i7 975 desktop processor inside this notebook.

Conclusion
Overall the AVADirect D900F 17" gaming notebook proved to be very capable of handling modern games, even without dual graphics cards. Compared to the ASUS W90 it has slightly less graphics performance, but clearly leads in raw processing power. For encoding video or working with CAD applications the Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition would give you workstation level performance, without the bulk of a 30lb desktop case. While the $3,900 price seems steep, most of it comes from the processor and SSDs in our review unit. Going with a more reasonable Core i7 920 would save you nearly $800 by itself. Bottom line, if you want the most processing power out of a notebook, there is really nothing else that is faster than this with an Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition packed inside.

Pros:

• Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition inside a 17" notebook
• Smoking fast
• Very speedy SSD RAID 0
• Over and hour of battery life with a Core i7 inside

Cons:

• Chassis could use a face-lift
• Loud cooling fans

 

The last Clevo I owned with a desktop processor was a complete fail. Desktop components in a laptop = TOO MUCH HEAT!....I would pass on this one and wait for Mobile Core i7...

 

130FPS in Left 4 Dead at native resolution? Man, this thing can't play games at all.

Seriously, although I agree with the many forum comments about this notebook lacking SLI, even with just a single GTX 280M 1GB card and the Core i7 processor this notebook is mighty powerful.

 

Awesome review! This lappy is totally not for me, but, its always fun reading what is possible (ie. stuffing an i7 into a laptop)... esp. for someone like me who will never own another desktop again.

The AC adapter weighs about the same as my TZ.

 

i'd prefer to have sli lol

 

Yeah but are those avg frames per second or just what he's getting at the time of the screenshot?

It really doesn't look like the i7 is bringing much in the way of gaming performance over the mobile CPU when compared to the Sager 5797 scores.

 

130FPs fell around the low range with more action on the frame. We saw decent spikes upwards of 180FPS in 1920x1200 when walking around without many zombies on the screen.

For those curious, this is hot hot the Core i7 975 runs inside a notebook. Lower temps are the idle, higher temps are halfway through wprime 1024M and GPU being stressed at the same time.

 

85C! Well, I don't think they'll be overclocking the 975 much.

This is more for people who need the i7 than gamers. My NP5797 will put up very similar gaming numbers, but when it comes to Audio/Video/CAD apps, I'll get killed

 

Actually the processor has 3 heatsinks. The core 2 quads had a TDP of 95 Watts. The core i7s have 130 Watt TDP, followed by overclocking. So more heat eventually. In the previous D900 series, there were 4 heatsinks. 2 for the graphics cards, and 2 for the processor. One of the fans are mounted over the RAMs, so it seems that it is blowing on the RAM, but actually these fans blow laterally, and air is directed to the heatsink.

The D900F lost a heatsink to the CPU, so no SLi.

When do we expect to see the "fanless" air blowers ? I have seen a demo video, and the air flow seems to be ~ 2x more than contemporary fan blowers. Once these kick in, the future D900 might well become slimmer ..

 

Well the third to the right is partially for the RAM, but yea the CPU hogs most of the cooling.

 

Holy fans, Batman!

I wonder if it works like those ground effects cars that use a fan and can stick to the wall. Get a game going and the laptop can stick to the wall

 

You'd have to add an airtight lip around the edge to create suction.

Or you could reverse the fans add a skirt to the bottom and turn it into a hovercraft.

 

Is that hardware RAID or software RAID on that puppy???

 

$3900? Yikes!

 

So how does the fan noise compare to the OCZ Whitebook/M17 under load?

Would you say the screen is average at best?

What's the string ID for the screen to determine the maker?

How big is the Power Supply Adapter? Pics?

Weight wise, does it feel like a full 12lbs?

 

The numpad really really bothers me. I dont know who thought that design up but something isnt right with it.

 

How would u compare it to
New Alienware m17x

AW 90% - D900F 100%
or..............

thxs

 

LOL, that's funny!

Don't know what you're breathing though that mask, but it obviously isn't good for you!

 

How does it run GTA IV? I would think testing it would be a given...

 

I'm wondering how this stacks up against Alienware's M17x, touted by Dell as "The most powerful 17" laptop in the universe"? Then again, this is strictly speaking 17.1" instead of 17".

 

Before joining these forums, I had no idea "laptops" such as these even existed, and that people would actually buy them. Oh, how much we learn in our lives

Great review as always.

 

To an extent, Dell is right about it being the most powerful 17" laptop in the world. The extent being gaming and 3dmark benching with sli compatibility. Anything CPU intensive the D900f wins hands down, GTA4 included. Clevo's answer to the M17x is the 18.4" M980nu, and the screen is the only notable difference.

 

I would have to say the new AW M17x is a lot more attractive, both in build quality, graphics performance and comes with a normal number pad. I would go for the Dell/AW in a heartbeat.

That said, I'm still waiting to see what Toshiba comes out with to replace the X305 this year...

 

four fans. wow

 

Really?

Clevo M98nu= 1 280m GTX

Alienware M17X= 2 280m GTX'x in SLI

EDIT: I stand corrected.

 

Clevo D900F = 1 x GTX 280M

Clevo M980NU = 2 x GTX 280M (in SLI)

Alienware M17x = 2 x GTX 280M (in SLI)

 

Seriously? You should read more <.<

Thanks gophn, lol

 

Seriously, both reviews I read only listed a single 280!

Correction, the Cleevo M98..whatever has 2 280's in SLI.

Feel better.

 

That old notebookcheck review only had a single 280, but they pretty clearly talked about it bing sli capable. What I want to know is how they got their hands on it so early. I think it's notebookjournal.de that has the first benches of sli 280M atm (in the clevo). Yeah, here it is: http://www.notebookjournal.de/news/14500-3dmarks-mit-gtx-280m-sli-1429

Anyway, back on topic lol

 

That Clevo M98nu has very similar specs to the M17X.

I didn't see any integrated graphics though. Does it have that?

Any word on pricing with dual 280's and a QX9300?

 

Yeah, it's the same nvidia chipset. Eurocom is the worst when it comes to prices, look for yourself, I think it came to ~3900 with qx9300 and sli 280. Once it's on xotic pc, powernotebook, sager, etc then we'll know the real price.

 

it turns out the M98NU does have the Nvidia chipset with the built in 9400m for battery saving..... im thinking about it now

 

To Mr Moo, and Rob41.

The M98NU has been stated to include GTX280M SLI and 9400M for a relatively long time now.

That's precisely why people like myself have been constantly telling you compare the new M17X with that instead, instead of the comparing it with the D900F. A possible issue with the M98NU is that the CPU may not be overclockable.

Took you guys a while to realize, eh?

Nice to see the D900F is still a 16:10 machine. 3 Ram slots as well. Build quality sounds worse compared to my previous D900C, but then again, build quality is also subjective.

 

ummm i have known ... please do not mistake me for a retard.

i have been debating for a while which one to get.

i am 6'6 so 18.4 would be nice n smallish/ just right

but the m17 will offer alot of features that i like. The cooling systems and overall performance is what i am waiting for

 

A retard?

I never said that.

You said it yourself.

It's been announced for a while now, turned out usually refers to something that you just found out, or surprised you.

 

i should re-word it then

I am just saying i have know and i have recommended it to a couple of people.... and have had to correct hundreds of people

OMG l33t i7 and 280's in SLI in the new sager.

and I have to explain:
ones is single GPU i7 and for work
one is dual GPU's with mobile quad for gaming.

quite annoying

sorry for the confusion
were both in the same loop

 

That works.

 

ahhh I can't wait to see how they stack up.

i do enjoy the nice design of the M17x

 

strange, the M98nu has a 8 cell battery if i remember correctly the m17x has a 9 cell

 

Careful moo.

 

ohhh no i didnt mean you lol You just happened to be there .( other people) !!!!!

i know your not rob i am in the AW section every day with you

 

Cool, my feelings got hurt for a minute there.

 

Please also give out some more info on this:
Where is the north and southbridge and how are they cooled? Are they under the same heatsink as the cpu or do they have their own cooling? And is the multiplier for the extreme chip unlocked? Also are these the max temps under load and is there a good thermal compound in your unit (if not it could be cooler)?
Im sure ive got more questions but these are the most important ones i can think of at the moment. I dont want another notebook with a nb under the same heatsink as the cpu..

 

the CPU heat sink is the whole note book lol

 

And if you look closely at the center of the fans it says "Hoover" lol

 

I'm not sure I get the connection between your height and the size of the screen of your notebook.

 

easy

I'm big so big laptops are normal for me. My hands are bigger then most which means i like a big palm rest. Also in terms of carrying this to me feels like a 15 inch. I am bigger so i dont notice the size. When i hand my laptop to some one else they are like its huge!!!!!

any way i dont like 15 inch laptops i prefer 17-18.4.

 

You can be 6'6 and weak or 5'4 and strong. Or you can be a big dude with little hands or a small dude with freakishly big mitts. It comes down to the individual.

With that being said, I agree with Moo. I'm 6'4" 240lbs and a workout/sports/strength training nut, so these supposed, "heavy," laptops are insanely light even trekking across blocks in a backpack in Philly, but the good thing about larger laptops (when their makers take advantage of their space), are larger keyboards. The first thing I look at on laptops are the keyboards and then the screen.

I use a M4400 for work and it is just insanely tiny IMHO. Don't get me wrong, it is very well constructed, solid and gets the job done; but I find myself using it 99% of the time as a site-to-site docked system. I'm trying to sort something out for my upcoming travel plans because being stuck with this for weeks/months on end may drive me batty.

The 12lbs the D900F weighs is pretty light IMHO. I'm just curious about the power supply feeding this beast. Even if the PSU is 3lbs, that's 15lbs total and let's assume ~20lbs with the carrying case and accessories.

 

im the same way i played football for 5 years

weight lifting FTW

the m17 @10 pounds is just another computer

 

I'm 6'2" 250 lbs, large frame, and a weight lifter also, but it never really made my 9262 any more enjoyable to lug around. It's mainly the space it takes up and the fact that the time that can be had to use it anywhere away from an outlet is nonexistent. I only bought it because I work locum and move from apartment to apartment ( across the US ) every few months, and it can just fit in the overhead compartment of a plane (in the pelican case). If I just wanted something to take to lan parties at home I probably would've just bought a much more powerful desktop and thrown it in my car when I needed to, but that's just me. I'm not saying people shouldn't buy this thing, I'm just saying I can't imagine why anyone would want to if they weren't in the same situation I am. I don't think too many people are in the position that they couldn't lift one of these things and carry it around, it's just not practical when you look at what you could get in a desktop for this much money.