Gigabyte P35W v2 review

A power-packed, value-stuffed gaming laptop

With the PC returning to the forefront of the video game scene, gaming laptops are booming in popularity. Almost every major vendor – Lenovo, Asus, Dell and more – has a solution for what I call semi-mobile PC gaming. (And I say "semi-mobile" considering few, if any, gaming laptops can play for longer than an hour on their batteries.) But as it stands, few put forth a better value proposition than Gigabyte, a Taiwan-based firm that until recently was better known for its components than its full-built systems.
The company's latest, the 15.6-inch Gigabyte P35W v2, cements Gigabyte's status as one of the leading value brands in mobile gaming hardware. In short, you're going to get more for less with this machine, even if it looks a little rough around the edges.

While the Razer Blade and MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K offer superior looks and superior screens they come with a premium price tag. (Not to mention that neither can match the amount or quality of components on offer here for the price.) That said, the Taiwanese vendor has made significant gains when it comes to build quality.

Design

At just 0.83 inches thin, Gigabyte has actually managed to craft a 15-inch gaming laptop that's slimmer than some Ultrabooks. What's even more impressive is that the company did it while stuffing a 2.5-inch bay just underneath the clickpad that can hold either an additional storage unit or optical drive. (TechRadar's review unit came with a Blu-ray disc R/W drive, but the space can also hold a 2.5-inch SSD or hard drive.)

With the deep gray brushed aluminum finish on its lid and palm rests, the P35W v2 does offer some of the trappings of a premium machine. Unfortunately, though, its thick black plastic bezel and smooth gray plastic base betray its less-than-fancy roots. It's almost tragic, given how much is right about this machine, design-wise.
The P35W v2 wins major points for dispersing heat through two rear vents in the base. The dual-intake design, with fans located just above the keyboard on the base, manages to help the system keep relatively cool while gaming – "relatively" being the operative word here. It runs cooler than MSI's latest thin and light gaming notebook, but I still wouldn't play games with this thing on my lap.
The vent placement leaves the speakers to the front of the base, just underneath the edge. But, as with most laptops, you'll be better off plugging in a pair of headphones. The Gigabyte's 1.5W speakers offer excellent volume, but produce middling bass and a thin register on the higher notes.

Both the keyboard and clickpad are vast improvements upon Gigabyte's previous offerings. With bright, well-spread white backlighting, the membrane keyboard on the P35W v2 gives a bit of flex, but only under more pressure than you would exert typing. Otherwise, the keyboard offers strong feedback and quick travel – I had no tapping through games like World of Warcraft and Titanfall.
While the clickpad won't get you through any game that's more intense than Hearthstone, the soft touch plastic tracking surface serves well for web browsing. The ElanTech-made sensor also tracks right-clicks with brilliant accuracy, though palm rejection is a bit hit-and-miss.
Let's move right along to what counts in a gaming laptop: the inside.

Spec sheet

• CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4710HQ (quad-core, 6MB cache, up to 3.5GHz with Turbo Boost)
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M (6GB GDDR5 RAM); Intel HD Graphics 4600
• RAM: 16GB DDR3L (2x 8GB, 1600MHz)
• Screen: 1920 x 1080 IPS, anti-glare
• Storage: 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD (7,200 rpm)
• Optical drive: 9.5mm Blu-ray disc writer
• Ports: 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, HDMI, D-sub, RJ45, Mic-in, Earphone-out (SPDIF), SD Card Reader, DC-in Jack, mini DisplayPort
• Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• Operating System: Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
• Camera: 1.3MP HD webcam
• Weight: 5.07 pounds
• Size: 15.16 x 10.63 x 0.83 inches (W x D x H)

This configuration represents the high end of what's available from Gigabyte, at a hefty $1,999 (about £1,188, AU$2,155) on Newegg.com. (You can also score one on Amazon in the US for $2,299, or £1,386, AU$2,470.) At the low end, you can score a P35W v2 for $1,789 (around £1,064, AU$1,928), though it offers half as much memory, half as large a solid-state drive and loses the IPS screen (still FHD). Given that this seems like a terrible way to save $120, go with the model we tested to maximize your money spent.

For just another 100 bucks, the Ghost Pro 3K puts up a 2880 x 1620 IPS panel. However, this laptop's GTX 870M offers half as much video memory and half the SSD storage. That said, 802.11ac Wi-Fi is a nice touch that this Gigabyte unit sorely lacks.
Of course, all of these acronyms and numbers are only as good as what they net you in terms of power. And it happens the P35W v2 is no slouch. Here's how the P35W v2 fared on our suite of synthetic tests:

Benchmarks

• 3DMark: Ice Storm: 107,409; Cloud Gate: 15,010; Fire Strike: 4,297
• Cinebench CPU: 560 points; Graphics: 93.99 fps
• PCMark 8 Home: 3,205 points
• PCMark 8 Battery Life: 3 hours, 19 minutes
• Bioshock Infinite (1080p, Ultra): 52 fps; (1080p, Low): 166 fps
• Metro: Last Light (1080p, Ultra): 14 fps; (1080p, Low): 66 fps

Save for a predictably poor Metro: Last Light showing (a super-demanding game, which no laptop we've tested yet comes close to 30 frames per second with) you're looking at a notebook that will handle just about anything from gaming to general computing and more. Just don't count on it lasting longer than 4 hours doing so.

Long-lasting … for a gaming laptop

That said, the P35W v2 proved to be one of the most enduring laptops I've reviewed yet. My own testing – a mix of streaming high bitrate audio, watching YouTube at 1080p and working through over 10 Google Chrome tabs, HipChat and TweetDeck – saw the machine hang on for 4 hours and 3 minutes.
This test was conducted with the power set to "Balanced", with the keyboard backlight off, screen at 70% brightness and a USB mouse connected. Lighter loads and a dimmer screen should yield even better times. By comparison, the Ghost Pro 3K lasted just 2 hours and 58 minutes in a similar test, though the WQHD+ screen is part to blame for that.

Future-proofing frames per second

With 6GB of video RAM behind that GTX 870M inside, the P35W v2 turned out to be a gaming monster. With Titanfall set to the highest possible settings, 2x anti-aliasing, double-buffered vertical sync and 30% draw distance at 1080p, this rig produced a more than playable 52 fps.
Respawn Entertainment's mecha-shooter might not be the most demanding game around, but it is representative of online gaming in 2014. With that in mind, I'd predict that the GTX 870M will be able to comfortably handle current PC games at 1080p through the end of 2015 at least. That said, by the second half of 2015, you might find yourself turning down settings.

Bundled software

If you're familiar with this firm's previous laptops, like the Gigabyte P34G, then you already know what to expect from this notebook's software loadout, only a bit scaled back. In what seems to be Gigabyte's style, the vendor placed a number of shortcuts to basic Windows tools (like Control Panel) on the Windows 8.1 desktop for easier access than the OS currently offers. Here are some of the more notable inclusions:

• AmCap: A video capture tool that allows you record from a variety of sources through the integrated webcam or other devices; likely included to support game streaming for Twitch users.
• LAN Optimizer: Through this tool, you can prioritize network traffic incoming and outgoing for specific tasks, namely gaming and streaming apps.
• Smart Manager: This iteration of Gigabyte's hardware control tool – offering tweaks to fan settings, power options and more – is sadly without Ultra Boost, the company's easy-to-use overclocking tool.
• Smart Update: While it may look chintzy, this app pulls driver updates for all of your components from their respective servers into a simple interface. I consider it invaluable
• We liked
• The P35W v2 is a better value than its competitors. It may not be much of a looker, but knowing that you spent less for more should more than make up for it.
  The performance displayed by the components inside left me confident that this gaming laptop will be able to keep up with the advances of PC gaming for at least a few years. Keeping in mind that comparably-priced desktop systems will always outpace their mobile counterparts, the P35W v2 should serve mobile-focused PC gamers well throughout 2015 and likely beyond.
  Finally, I'm just going to say it again. Gigabyte managed to cram an extra swappable 2.5-inch bay into an 0.83-inch system. That's a big deal. Also, 4 hours of battery life is tough to find in a gaming laptop. You can get it here.
  

  We disliked

  While there isn't much to complain about with the P35W v2, the most notable omission here is 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The far faster networking standard only stands to grow more popular in the coming years, and this machine only stands to be left behind.
  Also, for being so thin, this laptop is quite heavy at just over 5 pounds. You'll most definitely notice this one in your backpack or shoulderbag. In the same vein, I could do without the plastic base (underneath the aluminum palm rest) and bezel. And finally, Gigabyte: enough with the gaudy stickers, at least the ones you aren't obligated to slap on every unit.
  

  Final verdict

  If you're dead set on buying a gaming laptop instead of a desktop system, you'll be hard-pressed finding a better value than the Gigabyte P35W v2. Simply put, this gaming laptop offers more hardware and better performance than its competitors for less money.
  You will miss out on the niceties of more premium systems, like the attractive chassis and 3K displays of the Ghost Pro 3K and Razer Blade. You'll also lack the latest in wireless networking tech, if you opt for this system.
  Regardless, in terms of pixels pushed per penny, the P35W v2 represents one of the best buys in gaming laptops today. Of course, you'll always get even more power for the money in a desktop gaming PC, but in terms of gaming laptops, I'd say the P35W v2 is the one to beat.
  
  
  
  source:-Gigabyte P35W v2 review