Clevo P650HP6 or another 15" laptop? [US] [$1300]

Firstly, I apologize for the long post and for being too specific, I'd just like to get the best for my money without regretting later. I've been doing some research and found out that the Clevo P650HP6 is a great option and I'd like your help to compare it with other options. My needs are listed just after the models I was considering before getting to the Clevo.

Basically, I'm looking for:

• i7 + GTX 1060 6GB + 16 GB ram combo, M.2 SSD + HDD slots.
• Good built quality, durability is important
• Good cooling system is very important

Please, if you can post the pros and cons of the model you're suggesting, I'll apprecciate it.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Clevo P650HP6: liked this Eluktronics, but I'm considering the others resellers
Lenovo Legion Y720
Acer Predator Helios 300, V15 Nitro
Dell Inspiron 7577
MSI GE62VR, GS63VR
Asus GL502VM,

1) What is your budget?
Around U$ 1300, can stretch a little (maximum $1500)

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
On-line retailers in USA that accept international credit cards/paypal

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No preference
5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
No

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Video and photo editing, pc and mobile programming, virtual machine, some gaming

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Mostly leaving it on my desk, just don't want anything more than 3.5 Kg

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
Yes, but I'm not a hardcore gamer.
RPG like Skyrim and Witcher 3 (medium-high settings)
FPS like the latest Call of Duty and Battlefield (medium-high settings)

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
3+ hours is more than enough for me

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
Won't be able to see it before purchasing it, need to buy it on-line

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (Windows 7 / 8), Mac OS, Linux, Chrome OS, etc.
Windows

12) What screen resolution(s) would you prefer?
FHD is preferable, but will consider higher resolutions (true resolution) if it fits the budget

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
No preference here, my use will be varied, just want a good quality screen

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No

15) When are you buying this laptop?
ASAP, need it to be delivered before Dec 20th

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
Between 3-5 years

17) How much hard drive space do you need? Do you want a SSD drive?
256 SSD + HDD is desirable, but there's no problem if it comes only with SSD
16 GB Ram is also desirable

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD Burner, Blu-ray Reader or Blu-Ray Burner?
No

 

That p650hp6 is a good laptop.
Btw My suggestion is for a better clevo reseller like hidevolution, sager, xotic pc

 

Thanks! I've been reading great things from their service, but the problem is the lack of time. I need it before 20/12, I know Xotic PC offers rush service, don't know about Sager or Hidevolution.
*Update: Sager also offers rush service.

I'm not form US and will be leaving that day from Washington, DC, so depending how long it takes I won't be able to buy from a specific seller. Already contacted them, only Eluktronics answered and they can process it in 3 business day and deliver it in 1 day. Waiting for the others.

Btw, excellent post on Linustechtips!

 

Ask in the clevo subforum here on NBR for that.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...-questions-to-reseller-thread.656776/page-143

there are many companies @Donald@HIDevolution @Meaker@Sager @Tanner@XoticPC @Prostar Computer

 

The P650hp6 is great, especially if you get one with the 120hz panel.

I loved mine!

Eluktronics is excellent too. I have covered this unit over 15 videos should you require further information on it.

Good luck

 

Thanks @sicily428 for pointing this subforum, I'll check with them!

 

Great videos @B0B! I couldn't watch everything during the weekend, but those I've seen helped a lot! I've got just one question, sorry if I'm asking something you answered on another video that I didn't watched yet, but how did you updated the bios to Obsidian? Have you asked Eluktronics for it?

I've read the Clevo stock bios offers a lot of limitations, Prema is known for its excellent quality but not all resellers work with it, as shown in the post from @sicily428. This isn't a major concern for my use, but eventually, is it possible to update it by myself? Anyway, I know there are risks involved, but just to know the possibilities.

 

you can't get the Prema BIOS without buying it from a Prema Partner.

I suggest you build your laptop on HIDevolution's website to the specs you want, then send the details to donald@hidevolution.com and tell him your NBR Forum Username you will be able to get a small discount with that.

Also once you join the EVOC Gaming Team, feel free to tag me so I can help you tweak your laptop.

These are the tweaks that I usually do for fellow EVOC Gaming Team Members:

1- Uninstallation of all the Windows Store Garbage Apps like 3D Paint, Print 3D, Alarms & Clock, Feedback Hub, Maps, Groove Music, News, Weather, etc.
2- Removing all Windows 10 Privacy Invasion stuff like Telemetry, sending your keystrokes to Microsoft, automatically installing suggested apps in the background, allowing Microsoft to conduct experiments on your laptop, disabling automatic driver updates through Windows updates, disabling Windows 10 ads, disabling Cortana, Cloud Search etc.
3- Removal of nVIDIA and Intel Telemetry
4- Adjusting a lot of options in PC Settings like disabling Windows Tablet Mode (you have a laptop not a tablet), disabling suggestions appearing in the start menu, disabling automatically connecting to Paid WiFi Hotspots, disabling Game DVR which reduced performance in games, and a lot more.
5- Replacing Cortana with a much better search tool that finds results instantly called Everything which finds any file you want as soon as you start typing even a few letters of its name and it doesn't even rely on the Windows Indexing Service to do this!
6- Restoring the classic Windows Photo Viewer
7- Restoring the Classic Windows 7 Start Menu
8- Removal of the new and useless 3D Objects Folder that appears when you open "Computer"
9- Completely disabling Windows Defender from its roots (including all scheduled tasks and startup files) for those who want to install their own AV. ESET NOD32 Antivirus is highly recommended if you want the utmost security with the least system performance impact.



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Additionally, see this:

Benefits of Prema BIOS:

• Restores user ability to overclock or underclock the CPU
• Restores user control over CPU power settings (voltage, watts, amps) for optimal performance and/or thermal efficiency
• Restores ability to control non-turbo CPU core ratio
• Restores ability to control CPU c-states and p-states
• Restores ability to control BCLK (northbridge) and FCLK (System Agent) frequency
• Restores ability to enable Intel Speed Shift Technology functionality
• Restores ability to disable Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX) functionality which is intended for software developers who want to use that feature and causes erratic system behavior
• Restores ability to control RSR, Watchdog Timer, ASPM, ACPI sleep and hibernation functionality
• Restores ability to control RAM timings, clock speeds and enables the utilization of XMP profiles
• Restores ability to control selection of Legacy, UEFI and CSM to install whatever operating system is desired
• Restores ability to control CPU-based DEP, AES (encryption) and Virtualization
• Restores ability to control GPU scaling, PCIe speed and power management features
• Restores control over Thunderbolt and USB 3.1 configuration
• Restores control over SATA port configuration and Intel LPM. Having the ability to disable drive ports allows exclusive control over what drive receives the BCD/boot sector, system and recovery partitions during Windows Setup and eliminates the need to physically remove non-OS drives when installing a new OS.

 

Thanks a lot @Phoenix for clarifying this, Prema bios really offers excellent benefits! Already contacted Donald, waiting for the reply.

So, as nobody said anything about the other models, I'm assuming that the Clevo is the best overall option from the list. Am I right?

 

I personally like the MSI variants a bit more just because I like MSI's design and good driver support. Although I would still go with HIDevolution to get that extra bit of support and quality control to ensure you have a laptop that works great out of the box that has been tested and bla bla bla instead of getting one from Amazon and dealing with luck if it works great or not then having to deal with refunds and waiting.

I wouldn't touch any Lenovo computer with a 10-foot pole: Lenovo Caught (3rd Time) Pre-Installing Spyware on its Laptops

Even though that article is old, I don't trust that company anymore