SgtSprog
Member
For the past three years, I've delved deeply into building, modifying, overclocking, and undervolting PCs. While I dabbled in building a few PCs 20 years ago, I recently found myself with extra time on my hands, which led me to immerse myself in the tech sphere of PC building.
Unfortunately, this newfound interest coincided with the 2020/21 GPU shortage. Nevertheless, I managed to assemble a high-quality rig and discovered the joy of being an enthusiast modifier. It's somewhat ironic for someone of my age to revel in technicolour yodel RGB psychedelics!
Fast forward six years since my last work laptop purchase; I find myself fortunate enough to choose a work system. Three years ago, I upgraded my desktop, so I figured it was time to do the same for my laptop.
I want to emphasize that I possess extensive knowledge about purchasing PC parts and peripherals, having worked in IT-related industries for nearly 30 years. I take pride in conducting thorough research to achieve the best value when price-performance ratios are at their peak.
So, I embarked on a comprehensive quest for the best laptop for frame rate and performance. I examined offerings from various top manufacturers, initially leaning toward an RTX 4070 GPU within a £1500 budget. However, after assessing the demands of my UE5 projects on my primary desktop, I quickly realized the need for a more powerful setup.
My journey began with the MSI Vector GP68 RTX 4070 and subsequently explored every manufacturer and variant, ranging from the 4070 to the 4090. After three weeks of intense research on major brand manufacturers, I finally revisited PC Specialist.
Over the past nine years, I've relied on PC Specialist for most of my main PC systems and laptops, consistently receiving outstanding service, support, and products. Strangely, I didn't consider them initially for this laptop purchase, even though I can't pinpoint why. I had assumed that a mainstream brand would provide a different experience from the CLEVO-based desktop replacements I've been accustomed to from PC Specialist (not a criticism, just an observation of the past).
Eventually, I visited the PC Specialist website and stumbled upon the Recoil 17. Initially, I thought it resembled the "paving slabs" I associated with them in the past, but I couldn't have been more mistaken. After extensive research and configuration, I settled on a spec costing around £2700 (excluding the water cooler, which I plan to add later).
I want to emphasize that I'm not a PC Specialist fanboy; I've had both positive and negative experiences over the years. However, I keep returning because, in my humble opinion, they excel at what they do. Personally, I've had nothing but excellent products from them.
Once I placed my order, I watched more video reviews, particularly one that featured an XMG Neo 17, which is essentially the same unit but with a water cooler. At that point, I was confident that I had made one of the best laptop decisions of my life.
Upon its arrival, I eagerly unboxed it and was blown away – this laptop is an absolute beast! After examining eight reviews of laptops equipped with the 4090, it became clear that this laptop outperformed more expensive alternatives.
After fine-tuning my MSI Afterburner profiles with a combination of undervolting and mild overclocking, the results were impressive. I can't say for certain if I won the silicon lottery, but this laptop boosts like a monster, even without water cooling.
I prefer to keep my systems running cool rather than hot. Therefore, I maintain a consistent undervolt, aiming to keep GPU memory temperatures below 88°C during extended usage, with GPU temps maxing out at 70°C and hotspot temperatures not exceeding 76°C.
This laptop serves a dual purpose: high-intensity CAD work and gaming. It needs to be durable while delivering the necessary frame rates and resolution.
This review is longer than my usual ones, but I want to convey to anyone considering a high-end desktop replacement or those involved in CAD work – this laptop is the real deal. It's a rarity for me not to have any regrets or reservations about a purchase. The colour gamut is excellent, screen brightness hits around 400 nits, and the rest of the features are more than sufficient. While battery life isn't a priority for me, it's adequate.
In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend this laptop. It not only looks great but also performs incredibly well and has everything I need to enjoy gaming and make great work content.
Unfortunately, this newfound interest coincided with the 2020/21 GPU shortage. Nevertheless, I managed to assemble a high-quality rig and discovered the joy of being an enthusiast modifier. It's somewhat ironic for someone of my age to revel in technicolour yodel RGB psychedelics!
Fast forward six years since my last work laptop purchase; I find myself fortunate enough to choose a work system. Three years ago, I upgraded my desktop, so I figured it was time to do the same for my laptop.
I want to emphasize that I possess extensive knowledge about purchasing PC parts and peripherals, having worked in IT-related industries for nearly 30 years. I take pride in conducting thorough research to achieve the best value when price-performance ratios are at their peak.
So, I embarked on a comprehensive quest for the best laptop for frame rate and performance. I examined offerings from various top manufacturers, initially leaning toward an RTX 4070 GPU within a £1500 budget. However, after assessing the demands of my UE5 projects on my primary desktop, I quickly realized the need for a more powerful setup.
My journey began with the MSI Vector GP68 RTX 4070 and subsequently explored every manufacturer and variant, ranging from the 4070 to the 4090. After three weeks of intense research on major brand manufacturers, I finally revisited PC Specialist.
Over the past nine years, I've relied on PC Specialist for most of my main PC systems and laptops, consistently receiving outstanding service, support, and products. Strangely, I didn't consider them initially for this laptop purchase, even though I can't pinpoint why. I had assumed that a mainstream brand would provide a different experience from the CLEVO-based desktop replacements I've been accustomed to from PC Specialist (not a criticism, just an observation of the past).
Eventually, I visited the PC Specialist website and stumbled upon the Recoil 17. Initially, I thought it resembled the "paving slabs" I associated with them in the past, but I couldn't have been more mistaken. After extensive research and configuration, I settled on a spec costing around £2700 (excluding the water cooler, which I plan to add later).
I want to emphasize that I'm not a PC Specialist fanboy; I've had both positive and negative experiences over the years. However, I keep returning because, in my humble opinion, they excel at what they do. Personally, I've had nothing but excellent products from them.
Once I placed my order, I watched more video reviews, particularly one that featured an XMG Neo 17, which is essentially the same unit but with a water cooler. At that point, I was confident that I had made one of the best laptop decisions of my life.
Upon its arrival, I eagerly unboxed it and was blown away – this laptop is an absolute beast! After examining eight reviews of laptops equipped with the 4090, it became clear that this laptop outperformed more expensive alternatives.
After fine-tuning my MSI Afterburner profiles with a combination of undervolting and mild overclocking, the results were impressive. I can't say for certain if I won the silicon lottery, but this laptop boosts like a monster, even without water cooling.
I prefer to keep my systems running cool rather than hot. Therefore, I maintain a consistent undervolt, aiming to keep GPU memory temperatures below 88°C during extended usage, with GPU temps maxing out at 70°C and hotspot temperatures not exceeding 76°C.
This laptop serves a dual purpose: high-intensity CAD work and gaming. It needs to be durable while delivering the necessary frame rates and resolution.
This review is longer than my usual ones, but I want to convey to anyone considering a high-end desktop replacement or those involved in CAD work – this laptop is the real deal. It's a rarity for me not to have any regrets or reservations about a purchase. The colour gamut is excellent, screen brightness hits around 400 nits, and the rest of the features are more than sufficient. While battery life isn't a priority for me, it's adequate.
In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend this laptop. It not only looks great but also performs incredibly well and has everything I need to enjoy gaming and make great work content.
TIA!