Getting To Know The x17
A total weight of 11 pounds, including the adapter and power cord, sounds pretty heavy. But that's actually a fairly big achievement for a 17.3” gaming notebook, which often weigh anywhere from 12 to 18 pounds. Part of that slim-down can be credited to Clevo’s chassis design, but a big chunk of the x17’s weight savings come from more efficient CPUs and GPUs. This newer notebook model gets by with a smaller power brick and lighter heat sinks than many of the gaming notebooks we've reviewed in the past.
Clevo supplies the lightweight LED-backlit screen that helps to keep the notebook itself under nine pounds.
A clean front edge make it easy to work with the x17 on your lap, though we suspect it wouldn't be comfortable to game like that for very long.
The x17’s left edge includes gigabit Ethernet connectivity, three USB 3.0 ports, and a flash media interface slot. As you can see, the third USB port integrates eSATA support, too. Meanwhile, the media slot supports most SD, MMC, and MS formats.
The x17’s right edge adds digital audio output and analog input to the familiar headphone output and microphone input, along with a single USB 2.0 port. If you so desire, Digital Storm will upgrade stock 8x DVD burner to a 6x Blu-Ray burner for $89.
DisplayPort connectivity updates a rear panel that also includes HDMI and DVI outputs. In theory, the platform should support three simultaneous outputs (the panel, plus two external screens). One of those would need to be hooked up via DisplayPort.
Though you can use one if you have it, the outdated DVI-to-VGA adapters is not part of Digital Storm's bundle.
The support kit does include an OEM-packaged Windows CD, driver disk, and CyberLink Media Suite 8, along with the power brick, AC cord, and a low-cost notebook bag.
