So thin it's hard to believe it's for gaming.
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Boutique builder Origin PC makes three different laptop models, with the EVO15-S (See it on OriginPC.com) sitting right in the middle of the pack in terms of price and specs. The other models are big and heavy, and entry-level, with the EVO15-S splitting the difference by being moderately powerful yet also thin and light thanks to its Max-Q GPU. It's a laptop designed for both gaming and portability, which is a difficult balance to strike since both of those activities are usually at odds with one another. Let's take her for a spin, shall we?
Here are the specifications of the Origin EVO15-S I'm evaluating:
- Model: Origin EVO15-S
- Display: 15.6-inch FDH (1920x1080) 120Hz IPS Matte
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5 with Max-Q
- Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ (Quad-Core, 6MB Cache, up to 3.8GHz w/ Turbo Boost)
- Memory: 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws 2666MHz
- OS: Windows 10 Home
- OS Drive: 512GB Samsung 960 Pro PCIe NVMe M.2
- Storage Drive: 2TB Seagate 2.5" FireCuda Flash-Accelerated Hard Drive
- Ports: 1 x Ethernet, 1 x SD Card reader, 1 x HDMI, 2 x USB Type-C 3.1, 3 x USB 3.0, 2 Mini Display Ports, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x 3.5mm microphone jack.
- Battery: 53,200 mWh
- Wireless: Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 + BT Combo
- Dimensions: 14.9 x 9.9 x 0.7-inches (WxDxH)
- Weight: 4.3 pounds
- Price: $2,379
Keep in mind, this is just one of many configurations available from Origin. As you go through the ordering process on Origin’s website, you’re tasked with selecting everything from a housing color to nearly every component that goes into your machine. Pricing starts at $1,600 and varies wildly depending on your selections. A maxed out EVO15-S can easily top out at over $5,000, but comes with the same CPU and GPU as what I tested over the past couple of weeks.
Design and Features
The unboxing experience for the EVO15-S is unlike anything I've ever experienced. During the checkout process, you can opt to have your laptop shipped in a wood crate — a literal wooden crate, with screws and all. And that's what Origin shipped my review unit in.
In addition to the power supply and laptop, inside the box is an Origin t-shirt, a poster, a recovery USB thumb drive, a CD with device drivers and a user manual. There are also replacement screws to reattach the bottom housing if you need to remove it for upgrades or troubleshooting. The first thing I noticed about the EVO15-S is just how thin and light it is. At 0.7-inches thick and 4.3-pounds, it is extremely portable. In fact, just carrying it around makes it easy to forget the EVO15-S is a gaming laptop. The unit I received is all black, lacking any color at all. Origin offers 17 different color options, ranging in price from $199 to $289. A completely custom design is also available, with a price of "TBD," so you can probably get flaming skulls or a paint job that matches your car if you're into that sort of thing.
As far as ponies under the hood, the EVO15-S boasts an Intel Core i7-7700HQ, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, and two different storage drives. The primary drive is a 512GB Samsung SSD, with a Flash accelerated 2TB Seagate drive for data storage. As for wireless connectivity, 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2 are included.
The 15.6-inch IPS FHD (1920 x 1080) 120Hz display is stunning. I don't know a better word to describe it. Color saturation and overall brightness are spot on to my eyes. One annoyance I have with the display is that it can get rather dark at some viewing angles. It’s a quick fix to adjust the display, and a lot of displays have the same issue, but I noticed it a lot more often on the EVO15-S than other laptops I’ve tested. Below the display is the power button, and a pair of speakers that run nearly the entire width of the laptop. The speakers are impressively loud and provide a truly immersive experience. The first gaming session after booting up the Origin I found myself on pins and needles as I could hear footprints of an approaching player, starting quietly and getting louder as the player approached. And when he turned the corner, instead of registering a kill, I jumped out of my seat and was promptly shot. Whatever voodoo Origin does with its built-in audio, I really enjoyed it.
The full-sized keyboard is broken into three zones for backlit customizable colors. The keys are thin but have a nice bounce to them. The touchpad also houses a fingerprint reader in the top-left corner, which I found to be a bit awkward. When dragging an item across the touchpad or using gestures, the fingerprint sensor breaks up the gesture. Other than the odd placement of the fingerprint sensor, the touchpad is responsive and smooth. Although of course gamers will still want to plug in a mouse of their own.
Performance
Naturally, I submitted the EVO15-S to our benchmark regimen, and also spent many hours hunting for the ever-elusive chicken dinner in PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds as well. Here’s a quick rundown of the scores tallied by the Origin EVO15-S:
Overall, the EVO15-S scored slightly lower than the similarly spec’d and priced Alienware 15 R3. This is not much of a surprise as the EVO15-S features a Max-Q design, which means it uses hardware that runs at lower clock speeds so that the laptop can be thinner. Generally speaking Max-Q designs are always a bit less potent than standard machines, so there is a small penalty for the lithe form factor. That said, I can’t say the benchmarks translated into a slower experience in normal gaming use.
I felt as if the EVO15-S handled whatever task was at hand with ease. I consistently played PUBG at over 60fps at Ultra quality, and 120fps at High quality. The fans can be a bit loud at times, which is common on thin gaming laptops like this one or the Razer Blade, especially when recording while gaming. Thankfully the fans always spun down after a bit so it wasn't too annoying.
Battery Life
I was pleasantly surprised at the longevity of the EVO15-S's battery life. With a 144 minute performance in my battery test, the EVO15-S has the second best battery longevity for a gaming laptop, behind the Alienware 15 R3's 155-minute score. Origin claims up to 5 hours battery life on its website, and I'm sure that's possible for standard daily driving. As far as gaming or video playback goes, just over two hours is where you'll end up.
Purchasing Guide
The Origin PC EVO15-S is customizable so your price will vary according to the config you select. This review unit is priced at approximately $2,379. Origin sales are
The Verdict
The Origin EVO15-S currently sits at the top of my most wanted laptop list. It's small, powerful, and puts out some of the best audio I've heard from any laptop. There's a few small annoyances like the fan noise, the display's viewing angle, and the fingerprint reader location, but none of these issues ruin the experience. And of course with a GTX 1070 8GB with Max-Q it puts up very respectable benchmarks for a gaming laptop of this size and weight.
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