Ionico 17 review

barlew

barlew

Godlike
Macco26 said:
Both BIOS are made by Tongfang upon specifications of PCS, but PCS admitted to me they barely send some feedback, so generally is a genuine Tongfang version 100%, that's all.
First bios was 1.04PCS, second one (with MUX) disabled 1.07PCS. PCS today admitted also they didn't tell anything to TF about any reason to remove this. They got the new BIOS as it is. And used for their laptop unaware of this lack.
Why did it happen? We don't know. That's why I want a minimum of reassurance TF is working on a newer version. Because if at 14+1 days from my delivery I get a response like "sorry, TF decided the MUX wasn't reliable enough, they are not readding it" I would be screwed.

PCS also told me they don't have files for the 1st BIOS. Because it came inside the laptops. They only have 2nd BIOS on update files.

Plus I don't know if reverting a BIOS is an easy task. Sometimes the app does check and progress only if it sees a newer version to be applied. So TF should AT LEAST refactor the 1.04PCS BIOS to let be no less than e.g. version 1.08PCS.

Plus, and I'll stop, we don't know what other changes they did in 1.07PCS. Maybe they don't want to get rid of those. So we need a 1.07PCS BUT updated because the MUX is back.
Click to expand...
Thanks for clearing that all up for us @Macco26. Now I am even more confused. If the BIOS has come from TF with the MUX disabled I doubt it is a mistake. In my mind thats more worrying than it being turned off accidentally.

This is very similar to the battery issue in the Vyper. PCS had to go back to PCS to get the flash files and it took a few months. When it still didn't work they ended up refunding everyone so I would say you should be OK. At the end of the day you bought a laptop which was advertised as having a MUX so it should have one.
 
Greenman

Greenman

Enthusiast
barlew said:
Thanks for clearing that all up for us @Macco26. Now I am even more confused. If the BIOS has come from TF with the MUX disabled I doubt it is a mistake. In my mind thats more worrying than it being turned off accidentally.

This is very similar to the battery issue in the Vyper. PCS had to go back to PCS to get the flash files and it took a few months. When it still didn't work they ended up refunding everyone so I would say you should be OK. At the end of the day you bought a laptop which was advertised as having a MUX so it should have one.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's weird enough that the later version has less features. Deliberately so? Wonder what the issue is.
 
Bhuna50

Bhuna50

Author Level
I don’t know if PCS ever said it had the MUX did they. Just a rival saying it has it (same chassis). Perhaps that rival has an exclusive with TF to have it enabled [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Macco26

Macco26

Expert
barlew said:
Thanks for clearing that all up for us @Macco26. Now I am even more confused. If the BIOS has come from TF with the MUX disabled I doubt it is a mistake. In my mind thats more worrying than it being turned off accidentally.

This is very similar to the battery issue in the Vyper. PCS had to go back to PCS to get the flash files and it took a few months. When it still didn't work they ended up refunding everyone so I would say you should be OK. At the end of the day you bought a laptop which was advertised as having a MUX so it should have one.
Click to expand...
PCS never said so, but they are now asking TF to add it explicitly. The rival advertises the MUX and from internal sources I know they'll keep it forever. So the model is capable (and proof is also Ionico with January BIOS, tbh).
But yeah, I'd like to know the reasons behind, but could not get it. I wish they could read me the highlights of said 1.07PCS BIOS build, for once.

We'll se next monday. I need something (to be forwarded to me by PCS) FROM TF saying they're working on it. Silence is not enough to stop my return.
PS: About the battery I don't know if every SI had this issue. For MUX it's only the PCS build. So TF could change the logo from to PCS and provide an hassle free BIOS for the Ionico, tbh. If they want.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
TheMash

TheMash

Bronze Level Poster
@barlew
Yep, I'll post a picture of my display this evening. So far I've very low bleeding (few spots) concentrated in the lower portion of the display.
Sides and top are completely clean.
 
barlew

barlew

Godlike
Macco26 said:
I made a video review of the new PCS Ionico 17, equipped with RTX 3070.

It's a very good machine, overall, couldn't ask better, but as you will see from the video, it's has only one major flaw that puts me in consideration whether to keep it or returning it. Probably is a thing 95% of people don't care (infact it's absent from any other Clevo offering of PCS) but I do, as I intend a gaming machine to express the best, and if it comes with the proper hardware I paid, I want it to work as intended.
Being only a firmware issue, introduced with the 2nd released BIOS build (the first customers are fine) which I did have installed at my testing phase, I do hope PCS can fix it by issuing another BIOS version or giving me the chance to revert it back.
I've been in contact with them from day 1 of deliver, but time ticks in and I won't wait more than the max 14 days returning window to let them fix this.
Finger crossed I'll be part of this community after this timeframe ends.

Open to comments here or in the comments section of the YT video.

Cheers,
TheMacco26.
Click to expand...
I just realised you are using a third party vendor CC instead of the PCS one. This may be the reason that half your CC functions aren't working as you would expect?
 
Macco26

Macco26

Expert
No no, I tried both, also the PCS one, no change. Thank you. ;)
I can't really see a difference between the two, but by lurking in some chinese forums (ugh) I've read newer versions have squished a lot of bugs.
And apart from the 'fake' Voltage controls, this one I use (just because it's newer) can do everything else properly.

e.g. Power Limits now work. Provided you have Throttlestop in the background (I do anyway for the uV) set with TPL = 120W, the CC will adapt lowering those info with its sliders.
Without TS? I don't know. Initially it seemed to me PL were not working, but now that it does with TS installed, I am keeping this as a working practice.

So I don't miss anything besides the MUX (again, it's flawed in both CC, bc it's flawed the BIOS itself)
 
barlew

barlew

Godlike
Macco26 said:
No no, I tried both, also the PCS one, no change. Thank you. ;)
I can't really see a difference between the two, but by lurking in some chinese forums (ugh) I've read newer versions have squished a lot of bugs.
And apart from the 'fake' Voltage controls, this one I use (just because it's newer) can do everything else properly.

e.g. Power Limits now work. Provided you have Throttlestop in the background (I do anyway for the uV) set with TPL = 120W, the CC will adapt lowering those info with its sliders.
Without TS? I don't know. Initially it seemed to me PL were not working, but now that it does with TS installed, I am keeping this as a working practice.

So I don't miss anything besides the MUX (again, it's flawed in both CC, bc it's flawed the BIOS itself)
Click to expand...
I wonder why TS makes a difference that's mega strange.
 
Macco26

Macco26

Expert
I don't know. Initially it was like as with only the CC, whatever the sliders were set, the PL were the ones hardcoded into the laptop, like Entertainment = 60W? Can't remember. As like as also those sliders were 'fake'.
After the TS install, I found they were working. But the CC's PL can't go over those of TS.
You set TS's TPL = 60W? Nothing can exceed those values in the CC. I'm fine with that.
 
C

cedrixman

Active member
Hi,
I have great knews. I just received the following email from PCS after I ask about dGPU on BIOS. It is a google translation as I am french and do not really want to translate myself :p;):rolleyes: :

I discussed the Ionico situation with the head technician. He informed me that this was due to the BIOS version installed. Laptops originally shipped with an N.1.04 BIOS which had dGPU options in the MUX menu. The last BIOS we received (N1.07) had this option disabled. Some customers received their orders before a BIOS was available. This is what caused the differences between the customers. We are already working with TongFang to re-enable dGPU in a new BIOS. This option will be available with a new BIOS update

Now, we have to wait !!!
 
Macco26

Macco26

Expert
Perfect. What PCS said to me by phone (that they had asked TF to readd this feature) but written words are better.

Anyway we do know that PCS is asking this, but I'd like to know actually if TF agrees at re-enabling this and when. I mean, it's VERY strange TF decided to stop the MUX on a machine which had the MUX enabled on first BIOS to begin with. A bug? Intentional? We don't know.

But let's hope! (y)
 
Macco26

Macco26

Expert
barlew said:
That certainly looks positive. Although they worked with TongFang before and we all know what happend there....
Click to expand...
The only good news is that any other SI with this exact P/N cahssis is keeping this functionality* so TF is obliged to manufacture a BIOS supporting it for them, at least. To me should not be a big deal renaming/changing logo for PCS and ship said BIOS. But.. let's see.

*: I have a US based tech reviewer that has some source inside one of those US system integrators and told me that they are keeping the MUX for sure.
 
M

Mattr3

Active member
Someone can please confirm that 1440p 144hz pass through Usb-C directly from dGPU?
I would like to buy an Odyssey G5 monitor that has compatibility with G-Sync only via DisplayPort...
it's a good combination or there's something wrong?
 
Macco26

Macco26

Expert
I could only test HDMI and it does connect to the dGPU.
99,9% also the Display Port 1.4 thru the USB-C is driven straight fom the NVIDIA dGPU.

I don't even know if Intel iGPU is capable of DP 1.4 so, that's pretty sure.

Regarding the max specs (resolution frequency) you should check DP 1.4 specifications but I bet it can pass over 1440p 144hz easily.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top