AVADirect Clevo X8100 Core i7 Gaming Notebook Review

Performance Summary: With all the high end hardware AVADirect threw into the Clevo X8100, it would be hard to imagine performance being anything but top notch, so we're not surprised with how easily the test system sliced through our benchmarks. We are, however, summarily impressed, if for no other reason than this being the fastest notebook we've yet laid our hands on.

If you're considering a mobile gaming rig of this caliber, there are some obvious concessions you'll have to make. Chief among them is the price. At about $4,000 as configured in this article, the Clevo X8100 will put just as much hurt on your wallet as it will your in-game foes, though to be fair it wasn't too terribly long ago that specialized gaming laptops could run double, if not triple that amount. And then there's the battery life. Unlike traditional notebooks, the Clevo X8100 is only portable in the sense that it's far easier to lug from point A to point B then your bulky desktop.

If you can live with those caveats, which will apply to any high end gaming notebook, not just this one, the Clevo X8100 is about as good as it gets. AVADirect did a commendable job configuring a mobile setup that could go toe-to-toe with most desktops, and credit goes to Clevo for continuing to push the performance envelope in a portable form factor. There's a lot to like here, from the numerous aesthetic touches to the giant 18.4-inch HD display, as well as everything else covered on the previous pages. Like so many things in life, you have to pay to play, and the Clevo X8100 is no exception.