Eurocom Panther 5D Notebook Review: Faster Than Your Desktop

Features
By Stephen Taylor
published

There's a good chance that Eurocom's Panther 5D notebook is faster than your desktop. The sample we're reviewing sports a six-core Core i7-3970X, two GeForce GTX 680M modules in SLI, 32 GB of DDR3-1600, and three 256 GB SSDs. Talk about a beast!

Results: 3DMark

With the latest version of 3DMark now available, 3DMark 11 and Vantage are showing their age more than ever. However, they still offer unique insights into system performance, allowing us to make comparisons to older hardware you might still own.

The pair of GeForce GTX 680Ms in SLI is much faster than Nvidia’s current flagship mobile graphics processor. Improvements to the GeForce GTX 780M are evident, though. Performance is up roughly 25% compared to the single 680M in Alienware's machine.

Looking at Physics performance, the desktop processor in Eurocom's Panther 5D is 20% faster than both mobile CPUs. Intel's newer -4930MX comes out ahead of the -3940XM, but the difference is only around 7%.

As expected, Eurocom's Panther 5D registers the highest CPU score. But the difference between two GeForce GTX 680Ms in SLI and one 780 is only about 16%, and that's smaller than we expected.

3DMark Vantage lowers the number of advanced rendering features, allowing the GeForce GTX 780M to pull further ahead in the GPU test compared to one 680M. An issue with the MSI Dragon Edition 2’s CPU score bottlenecks that system's overall outcome.

Stephen Taylor
65 Comments Comment from the forums
  • vmem
    I want the satisfaction of just dropping this monster on someone's desk, and say

    "personal server: DEPLOY!"
    Reply
  • coffeecoffee
    Great for individuals that moves around often (i.e LAN parties, get togethers, etc) IF the hardware can be kept cool AND if the fan doesn't sound like a space rocket taking off. However, one will need a deep pocket to afford something like this.

    @vmem "Personal Server: Please insert Credit Card to continue! $_$"
    Reply
  • Razerium
    Sure it's better than my desktop, but it's also three times more expensive!
    Reply
  • f-14
    now this is how you're meant to play crisis 1-2-3 right by any one with an iMac.

    the main people i can see needing this bad boy is division commanders on a battlefield as well as NSA hackers and CIA spies and Drone operators
    Reply
  • airplanegeek
    you guys didn't review the sound volume :(
    but what i really wanted to see was the effects of ocing the gtx 680Ms :P
    Reply
  • 16bit
    Great article. Puts my 17.3 inch laptop to shame.

    Finally I can have high end desktop performance on the go.
    Reply
  • palladin9479
    I once had a Desktop Replacement laptop, huge monster that required a large AC adapter, was loud and heavy. These things are NOT portable, they are heavy to lug around and completely impractical for mobility. They are for people who, for whatever reason, do not want a desktop +monitor at their house. These are just desktops that are easier to transport around.
    Reply
  • belardo
    This seems more for bragging rights. Sure some people will NEED this... For a portable gaming system with 3 power-bricks, etc... why not get customized AIO? Or simply brink a small (SFF) case with keyboard and 20" display which would weight less? If you're gaming anyway - you'll need a mouse. The keyboard looks crappy, the numeric keypad is up against the main keys.

    Lets see, a SFF setup parts:
    PC: 5 = SFF-PC, keyboard, mouse, monitor, 2 power cords.
    5D: 7 = 5D Panther, Mouse, 2 power cords, 3 power bricks/converter.

    In return, you get a much better keyboard... then when broken, its a $10~150 replacement...
    Reply
  • Avus
    It may be fast, but it sure look ugly. If i compare this notebook to a car, it will be a Mitsuoka Orochi.
    Reply
  • zodiacfml
    awesome photography. i enjoyed looking at the parts.
    Reply