EVOC / CLEVO P650RS-G from HIDevolution

My Clevo laptop ordering experience has reached it's finale so I now feel qualified to give a review.

1. Placing the order and awaiting delivery

My first order for the P650RS-G was with @Larry@LPC-Digital Larry was very helpful and the price was very good. I placed the order Sep 12, 2016 for the P650RS-G / 4K display / i7-6820HK CPU / 16G RAM / ICD paste / Win10 home / SanDisk X400 1TB SSD all for $2134.00 The laptop was significantly delayed due to a lot of orders coming in and Larry kindly gave me the option to cancel my order. At the time I was also reading about TIM / paste and I saw some impressive numbers from folks using liquid metal. I decided to place my order with @Donald@HIDevolution since I felt I might be getting in over my head between the thermal paste and other issues people have been having with this laptop (BIOS versions, thermal issues, etc).

My order from HID was nearly identical to the LPC order except that I downgraded the drive to the Evo 850 500G and I added CLLU (metal) paste and color calibration (since the 4K pentile displays can have some weird problems with certain colors like yellow). I had to pay extra to get 2 years of warranty coverage (come standard with Sager brand laptops), but I do feel more comfortable dealing with a builder like HID for this laptop because people have been having a lot of issues with this model and I wanted the warm and fuzzy feeling of dealing more directly with a hardware support team. The total price from HIDevolution was $2351.00 (this also includes the Prima BIOS).

Ordering from HID is a very pleasant experience. @Donald@HIDevolution answered all my questions and responded to my frequent status queries very promptly and courteously. My order was placed Sep 30, 2016 and my laptop arrived Oct 18, 2016 which is well within the predicted time frame (5-10 business days production + 1-5 business days delivery). I had Fedex deliver the package to a local Fedex store for pickup which was very convenient.

2. Receiving the laptop

The laptop arrived in pristine condition. No mars and any other damage I could detect. @Donald@HIDevolution refunded my credit card the notebookreview discount ($30) and sent me the Gears of War 4 free game key. I also noticed that I received the Windows 10 Pro addition (I ordered only the Home version).

The only real issue is that the box did not contain a thumb drive with color profiles on it. I checked with HIDevolution to make sure they actually did color calibration and it turns out they did not. @Donald@HIDevolution confirmed that color calibration was not performed and refunded my credit card $50. This issue was resolved promptly so I have no complaints. If I badly need color calibration I will find someone who can do it!

3. The laptop itself

The P650RS-G is in many ways an impressive machine. I ran WPRIME64 and I could not get the CPU temp over 62C with stock frequencies. I have no tried over clocking (or undervolting) yet. I have not done any benchmarking of the GPU yet.

My only real issue is that the build quality is not quite at the level I am accustom to. I have owned may Dell Latitudes that many people will tell you are built like tanks. This is certainly true. My recent HP Spectre 13t 3000 is nearly a solid piece of metal and has been carried around in my backpack for the last 3 years with no perceivable damage (that is one of the best laptops I have personally owned).

The P650RS-G is not nearly as solid as the HP or the Dells. In fact, I would describe the lid as downright flimsy (nothing like the solid piece of metal on my Spectre). It's great that the laptop is light, but the chassis feels like it's made of a thin plastic or possible metal. My main concern is how well the P650RS-G is going to hold up to regular travel. I may have to consider getting a sturdier bag... I also considered a Razer Blade which may be more road worthy (but also run hotter, louder and reduced performance with the 1060).

Light bleed is not at all bad. There is some along the upper right and lower left but I really don't notice it that much.

So that is really the only sticking point. Everything else is actually pretty awesome. I am still in the very early stages of evaluating the new awesome machine and I will add more details here or in the owners forum (I'm not sure which makes the most sense).

Thanks to many folks here including especially @Galm17 and @win32asmguy for placing me on the path of the gaming DTR notebook/laptop enthusiast. I did not think I would ever consider a DTR option after owning an HP ZD7000.

 

One other pet peeve: why is there no "L" in "EVOC"? Shouldn't it be "EVLOC" or "LEVOC" or "EVOLC"? It bugs me that the brand name is not a permutation of Clevo.

 

EVOC stands for Evolution Overclock I confirmed this with them when placing my P870DM3 order with HIDEVOLUTION.

 

That stands for Evolution Computers.

I gotta get me some of this Donald that people have been talking about.

 

You wanna get what now?

 

I am here

• 

...come and get as much as you want

 

Im a bit surprised about the color calibration... unusual slip up from them.

About the build quality, I hope you werent under the impression it would be like a Latitude. As a business class machine they are built to higher specs. I've seen one run over and then thrown down a flight of stairs on purpose and it took no damage.

The Clevo chassis is all metal except for the bottom panel and lid. So the actual frame of the laptop is sturdy.

We always said the lid was it's weakpoint, and it is true. Havent had any issues traveling with it though, and I've flown like 6 times and had it flung around by TSA. Still all good.

 

No I didn't expect business class chassis. And perhaps it's much easier to make a solid metal ultra book little the HP Spectre. I was a bit surprised by the lid, but I will say that when the lid is closed the laptop feels pretty solid.

One thing I will do is get a bsckpack that zips down the middle so I don't have to take out the laptop for TSA.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

Laptops have to be removed regardless. Current regulations (at least everywhere I've been on the East Coast) require the laptop in its own tray when going through security.

 

This is the one I got:



It is very durable, the handles are sturdy despite the heavy weight of the laptop with the charger, it doesn't feel like the handles are going to break if you hold it from only one of them. I have walked in light rain as well while having the backpack on and the laptop wasn't wet so that's another plus point.

Speaking of storage, you can store your entire room in there (not literally) but you have so many pockets / sections it's super roomy and convenient.

PS: It costs an arm and a leg but hey, it's the best out there and this beast deserves nothing but the best.

 

Oh, I thought I heard that but wasn't sure. Well, a sleeve then at least so it doesn't get mangled going through...

I have the "DELL premiere" and a very nice Brenthaven I've used for probably over five years. The Pelican U100 was also recommended but man that looks like a beast. Still, may not be bad insurance for $2.5K laptop. Though I have this odd premonition that whatever happens to the laptop will happen when it is not in a bag (of any kind)...

 

I use a Swissgear Ibex peak bag.. It can easily fit my P771ZM and even my work laptop (T450) easily

Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk

 

That bag gets very good reviews on Amazon (if it's the same one - I could only find an ibex (not the "peak" version). I think I am okay with the bags I have, though the P650RS is a little big for my Brenthhaven.

Any thoughts on a good TSA friendly sleeve for this thing?

 

Hmm, that sleeve takes a 14" easily.. Not sure about 15"...

Also yes, it's just Ibex.. I got mine from BB...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/swissgear-ibex-laptop-backpack-blue/8483036.p?skuId=8483036

 

I don't think this is due to regulations. I checked the TSA website and there is no notice that they have stopped allowing TSA "checkpoint friendly" bags. But I think it is up to the TSA agent to decide if you have to remove your laptop and maybe what's happened is they just decided to always do that. From their perspective it may save time over having some people go through twice if their bag isn't quite TSA compliant...

I think you are allowed to leave the laptop in a sleeve. This would be a bit more reassuring. I feeling like the whole airport security check process is yet another opportunity to drop or ding the laptop.

Here's what I'm thinking of getting. The dimensions look right:

Arvok Water-resistant Neoprene Laptop Sleeve
Link: https://amzn.com/B01ANEYOSG

 

I think a sleeve is fine, but like a big bag with other stuff is not. The sleeve is basically not there when they scan it. They just wanna check the internals of the machine.

 

Yes, I agree. My ultrabook stays in it's sleeve when I pull it out of the bag. That's what made me think it might be a good idea to get one for this. I actually will travel with two laptops, so that's two sleeves. Still probably a good idea even though it adds more thickness to my backpack.

 

So which bag did you finally get bro?

 

@Phoenix
So far I've only gotten the Arvok 15 sleeve from Amazon which is perfect. The laptop is a tight fit in my Brenthhaven bag but I think it will work.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

I'm an airline pilot and about to buy this laptop for on the road gaming... I like the formfactor, but I'll have to make sure I have a decent case for it. I hope it can stand up to being carried around all the time.

 

I use this but it may be too big for your laptop and / or your liking......

This is the one I got:



It is very durable, the handles are sturdy despite the heavy weight of the laptop with the charger, it doesn't feel like the handles are going to break if you hold it from only one of them. I have walked in light rain as well while having the backpack on and the laptop wasn't wet so that's another plus point.

Speaking of storage, you can store your entire room in there (not literally) but you have so many pockets / sections it's super roomy and convenient.

PS: It costs an arm and a leg but hey, it's the best out there and this beast deserves nothing but the best.

 

Thanks so much for the heads up! I found a slightly smaller version that's $30 cheaper geared for a 15-17in laptop.... perfect size. I snagged it. Definitely worth the money to protect a 2k laptop. Cheers!

 

I've been traveling a fair amount with the P650RS-G and so far I haven't had any problems. The sleeve is nice for me when going through TSA (not sure what that's like for pilots!). I also got the XPad which is a nice travel friendly passive cooler.

 

sweet. I have the cooler master x3, but it's too big to carry around so i'll check out that passive cooler. about 90% of the time I dont have to go through security, but occasionally I do, and Ive already used the everki to just pop open and lay flat. works like a charm. awesome backpack!

 

I will have to check out the Everki (my Brenthaven is failing me...). You can see the XPad here (available on Amazon for around $25):

http://www.xpad4laptop.com/

It works great! I also really like this track mouse though it is an acquired taste (great for couch top computing). Also available on Amazon for around $25 (ignore the Logitech pricetag...):

https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/wireless-trackball-m570

There is a mouse thread on this board if you are considering getting one:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/gaming-mouse.797605/

I'm a skeptic when it comes to spending a lot on a mouse - but I think I am in the minority on this one. Some day I'd like to try the Logitech G900 though the price tag and poor battery life are not so appealing...

 

Man.... I've tried a track mouse long in the past but I just couldn't get into it. I see how it would work on a couch, but at that point I'd probably just use the integrated pad lol and give up trying to game.

I was looking into the G502 before, but I ended up going with a lesser brand, the utech venus. This was a few months ago. Overall it's a decent mouse, but the Logitechs have come down in price I think since then and the g502 and 600 look great. I didn't want to spend a lot on a mouse either. The g900 is waaaaay out of my price range rofl.

 

i got the xpad slim just now for the road also. Thanks! looks exactly like what I need.