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Gaming Benchmarks
Alien: Isolation
At Full HD, just about any high-end system can run Alien: Isolation with frame rates in the 100s, and the Eurocom Tornado F5 is no exception. It sits at third place, beating the Aorus X7 DT v7 by a few frames and falling behind the MSI GT73VR Titan SLI 4K by nearly the same margin. The less powerful, but still formidable MSI GE63VR Raider comes close to 200 FPS.
Alien: Isolation is an ideal candidate for 4K gaming. At UHD, both the Tornado’s and X7’s frame rates drop into the 70s. Unfortunately, the Tornado is restricted to a FHD display, so you’ll need an external monitor to enjoy smooth 4K gaming.
Ashes of the Singularity
[NOTE: We didn't test the MSI GT73VR Titan SLI with multi-GPU support in Ashes of the Singularity, so its score is omitted from the results.]
Unfortunately, Ashes of the Singularity imposes stricter requirements. Still, the Eurocom’s desktop processor pulls the Tornado’s frame rate a tad over 60 FPS, whereas the X7’s mobile processor delivers 6% less performance. Meanwhile, the Raider trails behind by nearly 23%, so you'll need to reduce more settings to surpass 60 FPS in this game.
At UHD, the i7-7700K makes an inconsequential difference. And even the GTX 1080 doesn’t provide enough performance to reach 60 FPS here. Running a dual GPU setup like the Origin PC EON17-SLX brings you much closer, but you’ll still need to reduce your settings to break that 60 FPS threshold.
Bioshock Infinite
Bioshock Infinite is relatively easy to run at FHD, so you’ll find performance bottlenecked (if at all) by the CPU rather than the GPU. The Eurocom delivers outstanding performance at 170 FPS, while the X7 trails behind by 4%.
The next logical step is to raise the resolution, and even at UHD the Eurocom enjoys well over 60 FPS. Only the EON17-SLX delivers enough to drive a 120 Hz display, however.
DiRT Rally
In DiRT Rally, the Eurocom laptop takes a back seat yet again to the dual GPU laptops, whose frame rates easily break 100. The desktop i7-7700K processor affords the Tornado F5 roughly 10% additional performance over the Aorus and its i7-7820HK. The GE63VR Raider doesn’t deliver nearly as much performance, but still surpasses 60+ FPS. If pure value is your main concern, then you’re overshooting with the Eurocom.
When we run the benchmark at UHD, the impressive frame rate drops to the low 30s, or just above playable levels. Unfortunately, the Tornado F5’s desktop processor provides no tangible performance benefit at UHD.
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V has a variety of benchmark scenes, some of which are relatively easy to render, and others that stress systems that don’t have adequate GPU power. The desktop processor of the Tornado F5 offers a 4% improvement over the Aorus, which in most cases amounts to less than a handful of frames. Almost across the board, the Eurocom and Aorus deliver more than 60 FPS, except during the Vinewood Sign scene.
It’s best not to delve into higher resolutions in this system-punishing game; the frame rate falls well below 30 FPS in all test scenes, and even a multi-GPU laptop like the Titan SLI has trouble maintaining 30 FPS consistently. You’ll need at least two GTX 1080s to seriously consider 4K in GTA V.
GRID Autosport
Performance in GRID Autosport is mostly platform-based, so the Tornado F5 enjoys a high frame rate, surpassing that of the Titan SLI, despite the latter’s dual GTX 1070s. The Eurocom even gives the EON17-SLX a run for its money, performing just 8% slower (the Origin also sports a desktop-class CPU). Also, the GE63VR Raider still delivers respectable performance.
Raising the resolution to UHD only imposes a 27% frame rate tax on the Eurocom, so you can maximize GRID Autosport’s settings without worry. However, GPU strength is better appreciated at higher resolutions, so the Titan SLI surpasses the Tornado F5 with an 11% lead.
Hitman
Hitman is Eurocom’s chance to shine because the game doesn’t support multi-GPU configurations, so the MSI and Origin PC laptops are effectively left with a single card in this benchmark. The Tornado F5 defeats the Titan SLI by 19% and matches the EON17-SLX’s performance.
At UHD, both the Tornado F5 and EON17-SLX frame rates are halved to just over 60 FPS. Their desktop processors make all the difference at this resolution. By comparison, the Aorus outputs just 2 FPS shy of the 60 FPS mark.
Metro: Last Light Redux
Metro: Last Light Redux is GPU-bound, so whatever gains the i7-7700K has to offer are lost. As such, both the Eurocom and Aorus deliver virtually identical performance. Despite being a graphics-bound title, Metro: Last Lightis relatively easy to run, and even the MSI Raider maintains over 60 FPS. However, if you’re aiming to game smoothly on a 120Hz display, you’ll need at least two GTX 1070s.
Metro’s UHD tax is quite steep, so the Eurocom laptop's performance falls by over 75%, well into slideshow territory. Even the Titan SLI struggles to maintain 30 FPS, and stepping up to a dual GTX 1080 system only improves matters by about 6 FPS.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider is another game that demands ample GPU horsepower above all. Thus, despite Eurocom's desktop-class processor, it only outperforms the Aorus X7 laptop by less than a frame. Both outclass the GTX 1070-equipped MSI Raider.
You're best off playing RoTR at FHD, however, because UHD (at our max settings) will drive both the Tornado and the Aorus well below 30 FPS.
The Division
The Division is another GPU-heavy title, although it isn't as demanding as Rise of the Tomb Raider. You won't see a major performance difference between systems with matching GPUs. In fact, the i7-7700K-based Eurocom falls behind the i7-7820K-based Aorus by about 4%. You'll finder greater gains by upgrading to a stronger GPU; the Eurocom outscores Raider by more than 15%.
At UHD, the GTX 1080-based laptops are at least capable of playable frame rates, and performance can be improved considerably by reducing anti-aliasing.
Thief
To conclude our gaming benchmarks, we have Thief, which isn’t incredibly demanding, and taxes the overall platform. As such, our Tornado F5 outperforms the Titan SLI by a sliver due to the latter’s weaker processor. Interestingly, the MSI Raider only scores 18% lower than the Eurocom, so if you don’t plan on playing games much more demanding than Thief, you can save a few bucks.
If you want to raise the resolution, however, even a desktop-like configuration such as the Eurocom won’t cut it at maximum settings; you either need to drop your settings or step up to a dual-graphics configuration.
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