Origin PC EON15-X Gaming Laptop Review: High Performance, Higher Price

Tom's Hardware Verdict

The Origin PC EON15-X is a top performer thanks to its desktop-class hardware, but its size, weight and price only make it attractive to some and attainable to even fewer.

Pros

  • +

    Robust build quality

  • +

    Outstanding CPU and GPU performance

  • +

    Fast SSD speeds

  • +

    Excellent cooling

Cons

  • -

    Polarizing aesthetics

  • -

    Incredibly heavy

  • -

    Mediocre battery life

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    Hefty price tag

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Introduction and Product Tour

If you’re looking for an enthusiast desktop replacement for a laptop, then the Origin PC EON15-X should be on your radar. It packs a desktop Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 and Intel Core i7-8700K into its 1.5-inch thick chassis. Its weight and price, however, may have you thinking twice.

Specifications

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Display15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) IPS, G-Sync
CPUIntel Core i7-8700K
GraphicsNvidia GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GDDR5X
Memory16GB DDR4-2800MHz
SSD512GB M.2 SSD
HDD2TB SSHD
OpticalN/A
NetworkingKiller Wireless-AC 1535Killer E2400 LAN
Video PortsHDMI 2.0Mini DisplayPort 1.4 x 2
USB PortsThunderbolt 3 over Type-CUSB 3.1 Type-CUSB 3.0 x 3USB 2.0
AudioIntegrated High-Definition Audio powered by Sound Blaster Xfi MB5 w/ external 7.1 supportAudio-in jack x 2Audio-out jack x 2
CameraBuilt-in 2.0M FHD Video Camera
Battery82Wh
Power Adapter330W
Operating SystemWindows 10 Pro
Dimensions 15.2 x 10.3 x 1.5 inches
Weight7.5 pounds
OtherCustomizable backlit keyboard with three lighting zonesFingerprint readerMedia card readerKensington Lock
Price (as configured)$3,512

Exterior

In typical, high-end gaming fashion, the Origin PC EON15-X looks like the type of system you would see at a LAN party. It’s big, robust, aggressive and everyone will know that it packs a ton of power as soon as you carry it into the room with you. However, its looks definitely aren’t for everyone.

The top cover features a rubberized surface in black. That material is a lot easier to clean smudges and stains from than metal surfaces and it gives the EON15-X a more premium feel than a typical matte or glossy plastic surface. On the other hand, the rubberized surface is more prone to scratches. The Origin PC logo is painted in the center, and two accented angles border the edges.

The deck uses the same rubberized finish as the top cover.

The bottom panel looks fairly plain. There are plenty of air intake cutouts for the cooling fans spread around the rear half of the panel. The only things that stand out are the rubber feet near the front and on the corners

The EON15-X is 15.2 inches long, 1.5 inches thick and weighs pounds lbs, so it’s bigger and heavier than many. With its size and components, the EON15-X is meant to be a desktop replacement that sees occasional travel at most, rather than something you carry daily.

You’ll find enough I/O ports to suit most of your needs, including VR headset support. On the left side you’ll find a Gigabit Ethernet port, Thunderbolt 3, USB Type-C, two USB 3.0 ports and a multi-card reader. On the right there are two audio-in jacks, two audio-out jacks, a USB 2.0 port, another USB 3.0 port and a Kensington lock. Finally, the back features an HDMI port and two Mini DisplayPorts.

Display

The Origin PC EON15-X features a 15.6-inch Full HD 1920x1080 matte IPS display with Nvidia G-Sync, which synchronizes the display and the GPU to prevent screen tearing. Our EON15-X’s display came pre-calibrated by Origin PC and has sharp contrasts and vibrant colors, although the calibration profile slightly dims the brightness.

Input Devices

The EON15-X contains a full-length keyboard with a number pad. The keys have a shallow concave that hugs on your fingertips, and the keycaps have a white translucent font for RGB lighting to shine through. However, we found key spacing to be rather cramped, and some keys such as “Right Shift” and “Num 0” are shortened, which can be uncomfortable to type with.

The touchpad is divided into one slate on the top plus left and right clicks on the bottom. The slate has a smooth matte finish which provides excellent tracking, but it has a slight amount of surface drag. The left and right buttons have a satisfying bumpy feedback.

On the top left of the touchpad you’ll find a fingerprint scanner, which you can use to log in with Windows Hello.

Interior

Upgrading the EON15-X’s internals is simple thanks to the bottom cover’s compartmentalization. On the left are two switches keeping the 82Wh lithium ion battery in place; unlocking it will pop the battery right out.

To the right, you’ll find a plate secured to the bottom panel with two screws. Removing them lets you slide the plate forward, revealing an M.2 slot on the left and two SATA slots in the middle and on the right.

A third plate spans the entire rear half on the bottom panel. Remove one screw in the middle and four screws in the rear to take the panel off. Underneath, you’ll find another M.2 slot on the left and two DDR4 memory slots on the right. Two more memory slots are hidden on the other side of the motherboard, and will require more disassembly to access. The rest of the interior consists of the EON15-X’s cooling solution.


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  • TJ Hooker
    CONS
    Incredibly heavy
    Weight
    7.5 pounds
    Pfft, I remember the Asus G75VX I had several years ago, thing was over 9 lbs (over 10 with power brick) :P
    Reply
  • bettykmertens
    Two more memory slots are hidden on the other side of the motherboard, and will require more disassembly to access. The rest of the interior consists of the EON15-X’s cooling solution...........www.precandy.com????????????????
    Reply
  • milkod2001
    People must be buying them if they are still making super expensive gaming laptops. What does it tell you about us customers? Are we really that dumb? I mean playing games on $3500 laptop, tiny 15'' sreen, super heavy, ugly and loud under full load. Why? If you can have much faster PC with 4k monitor at much cheaper price. I just don't get it.
    Reply
  • juliasweeney
    NICE WORK
    Reply
  • juliasweeney
    The touchpad is divided into one slate on the top plus left and right clicks on the bottom. The slate has a smooth matte finish which provides excellent tracking, but it has a slight amount of surface drag SEE TO COPY PAST...........www.seekcyber.com
    Reply
  • juliasweeney
    GOOD GOOD
    Reply
  • photonboy
    1) Refresh rate?
    I spent 15 minutes online and could NOT find out what it is. I'm guessing either 60Hz or 75Hz but why is there no info anywhere?

    2) Noise?
    Unless I missed it in the article all I see is that it supposedly has excellent cooling. Well, if it's at all NOISY then you can't say the cooling is excellent. You need to have both minimal CPU and GPU throttling in addition to low noise to say that.

    Above where my main questions right off the bat but also the ones I couldn't find info on. Coincidence?

    3) 1920x1080 only?
    Not even another option at the Origin site despite many, many other configurations for CPU and other parts.

    So let me get this straight, we put in a CPU and GPU that can drive many games far above 60FPS at 1920x1080 but may not have a sufficiently high enough refresh rate to stay in GSYNC mode?

    I know some people will take all the CPU and GPU power they can handle but for me if it's only a 1080p screen at 75Hz or less that seems a mistake.

    I think the AORUS in this review has a 120Hz, 2560x1440 screen so... what's the deal?
    Reply
  • ZM Fong
    Why buy from originpc. HIDevolution and ObsidianPC are clearly better options for P750/P751/P775/P870TM
    Reply
  • clark_c
    I looked at HIDevolution & ObsidianPC, but Origin appears to have the best options for me to get a high powered laptop with a 17" screen. The prices from HIDevolution for a laptop with a 6 core processor running at 3.7Ghz are far higher than from Origin. Also, the ObsidianPC prices are significantly higher and it ships from the UK.
    Reply