iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17 Gaming Notebook Review

Conclusion

Performance Summary: The Valkyrie's performance matches its price point and its features deliver the right blend of power, capability, and function. The only thing we'd change from the stock configuration is the omission of an SSD. Especially for gamers, speedy load times and quick reboots make a difference, though cost would be affected proportionally.

The only external caveats are the machine's chassis flexion and the ridiculously sensitive trackpad, neither one of which is a deal breaker. This is a great system for someone who wants a capable gaming laptop that won't leave you on a Ramen Noodle budget through January, should you decide to spring for an early holiday gift. iBuyPower's upgrade options are flexible enough that customers who want to swap for an SSD or upgrade to a GTX 680M rather than older 580M/675M re-badged GPUs can do so.



iBuyPower's Valkyrie hits what matters. It delivers the features gamers are going to care about the most, and where it compromises, the compromises are understandable. The matte 1920x1080 display is a particularly nice touch, especially if you've got better than 20/20 vision and are often frustrated with low pixel densities on other laptops. With good thermals and a fairly quiet acoustic profile, we definitely recommend giving it a try.


  • Excellent, high PPI display
  • Good price/performance balance
  • Good keyboard
  • Stays cool under load
  • Oversensitive, poorly-positioned touchpad
  • Weak default storage performance
  • Chassis flexion

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