Review Clevo X170 – desktop replacement, occasionally portable
When we test laptops from Clevo, they are certainly not simple, banal models. The last one I tested was this Clevo X170, a 17-inch desktop replacement equipped with the latest generation processor and top video card.
What does desktop replacement mean? Well, as the term says, it is a laptop that takes the place of a classic computer. It offers the same performance but in a laptop body.
The problem is that laptops of this type are very thick and very heavy and it is difficult to carry them, but not impossible. They are designed to replace a classic desktop and, if necessary, in rare cases, to be transported more easily than a desktop.
Because you don’t take such a laptop and put it in your backpack and go with it on the road. After 5 minutes your back will hurt and you probably won’t have enough space, especially since this model also comes with 2 power supplies.
So, the idea is good and saves you from having both a desktop and a laptop. You have a desktop replacement laptop and somehow “got out” as they say.
If it is a good solution for you, I am not able to say that, everyone decides for him. I’m just presenting.
Now let me tell you about Clevo X170, a very powerful laptop that wants a desktop replacement.
Clevo X170 Specifications:
– Processor: Intel Core i9-10900K 3.7GHz
– RAM: 16GB
– Video card: RTX 2080 SUPER
– Screen: 17 inch, Full HD, 240Hz
– SSD: ADATA Swordfish M.2 1TB
Ever since you received the box, you have realized how massive the laptop is. It’s just huge. It’s heavy, it’s thick, it’s big, it’s imposing. You feel his weight just by looking at him on the table.
It is built from the best materials. It feels like a premium laptop, solid, well united, pleasant to the touch and with large ventilation grilles.
I like that you can lift the screen with one finger, a sign that the hinges are very good. It would have been the peak to raise the base of the laptop when you raise the screen to how hard it is.
It has a full keyboard, RGB lighting, a generous trackpad with fingerprint sensor and physical buttons, narrow frames around the screen and a metallic finish in the keyboard area.
In the sun it has an interesting shade, see in the photo gallery. The laptop really looks great.
The ports are positioned on 3 sides and I like that the least accessed are on the back. You don’t see them, you don’t feel them, you don’t get confused. Perfect. On the sides you only have the USBs that you access frequently.
Below we will see the audio system that also has a subwoofer and sounds absolutely great, large vents and so on.
The pictures speak for themselves, I can only convey how it feels in reality. By the way, the laptop offers the following connectors on the back: USB Type C that also allows power, 2x mini DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, LAN and two power ports that resemble Lenovo ports.
On the left side it has an SD reader, 2x USB 3.0 and 2 jacks, and on the right 1x USB C, 1x USB 3.0 and a USB Type C that can transmit video signal.
The screen is 17 inches, is Full HD and has 240Hz. It is a good quality panel that looks good, is matte and very fast. Most likely it is a good quality TN or VA because the viewing angles did not surprise me. Clearly it’s not IPS, and if it’s my fault. I saw him as a VA.
And the speakers are absolutely sensational. Believe me, they sound impeccable. They have an extraordinary clarity for a laptop, and the bass is very productive. Whether you’re watching a movie or listening to music to the fullest, the speakers are very good. The integrated subwoofer does its job well, and the laptop does not vibrate because of it. Another sign that it is well built.
The most interesting part about this laptop model is the processor. Clevo has always managed to integrate very powerful processors into laptops and to cool them accordingly, obviously, with the noise associated with the package. However, the processor in question is an i9-10900K, meaning a desktop processor placed on a laptop. It is not a dedicated processor for lower power laptops. Not. It is the classic desktop processor that costs PC Garage 2600 lei.
Clevo has integrated this processor into a laptop and they have built a cooling for it, because it does not come with a cooler in the package if you buy it. Therefore, the cooling system placed on this laptop is designed for this processor to cool it very well.
Now we explain the thickness of the laptop and the two power supplies that come in the package. This processor has a TDP of 125W. 10 cores and 20 threads. It consumes a lot, it heats up but it is also efficient.
As for the rest of the specifications, I can’t say that they are very wow apart from the video card, an RTX 2080 SUPER. We have 16GB RAM, a 1TB M.2 SSD with PCI Express interface and a generous 240Hz screen. I say I’m not wow because I’ve met them before, but the desktop processor built into a laptop is the sensation.
You may be wondering if the games go to great detail, if it has enough processing, if it goes to edit 4K on it. There are unnecessary questions when you see such a laptop with such specifications. It’s like asking if a Ferrari catches 200km / h. Of course he catches. Naturally, this laptop will run any game you want in maximum detail with an impressive number of frames per second. Of course you can edit 4K on such a laptop.
What matters most to this laptop is whether it can take the place of a desktop in the true sense of the word. And I think maybe. I was curious about other aspects because it is clear to everyone that it is very efficient.
I used it under normal conditions, but I did not manage to use it to the maximum through my activities. Only synthetic tests have succeeded in forging the maximum system. But the experience was great and the laptop managed to give me everything I wanted.
For example, on a desktop you will choose to put 2 speakers or a 2.1 system. This laptop already integrates a 2.1 system that sounds as good as some dedicated PC speakers.
The 17-inch screen is not the largest and here a desktop wins. But you can always connect 2 secondary monitors to your laptop and make a perfect setup for your work. You have the Display Port, HDMI, just like a desktop.
The keyboard is light, well spaced, quiet, you do your job with it. But an important aspect is the rear ports that you do not see. On a desktop drive you have all the cables behind it. So with this laptop, the rarely used cables are in the back and don’t confuse you. But you have side access (imagine a desktop front panel) to the most common ports.
If you put this processor on a desktop you will choose an aftermarket cooler because it does not come with cooling in the package. X170 has a high-performance custom cooling system that does not let the processor heat up at all.
Another white ball is the detachable battery. Laptops no longer offer such batteries, they are built from modules. But Clevo chose a detachable classic battery precisely because the laptop will be plugged in 90% of the time. The battery is detachable so that it does not degrade very quickly and it is there to use it in the rare moments when you leave with the tank in the back. The battery has 97Wh with 8 cells.
The user experience is what matters in the case of this laptop. And besides all the positive points I’ve found, the negative ones can influence the user experience just as much. For example, the two power supplies the laptop needs are heavy and large. If you choose to use your laptop at home, it would not be a problem, but on the road it is almost impossible to carry so many kilograms with you. And if you choose a single power supply, you will not enjoy all the power of your laptop.
The noise produced by the fans is high. In idle it is not so annoying and you can choose how the cooling system works. But if you render a clip, play or do whatever the system requires, then the noise is very loud.
From my point of view these are the two disadvantages of this laptop. The perfect laptop does not exist and it is good to know what are the advantages and disadvantages.
This is the area where you can configure your laptop. Here you have access to the cooling system, the RGB keyboard system and you can even overclock. The attached images speak for themselves.
