Origin EON17-X v2 review: powerful, big, hot, and loud

Origin
EON17-X
v2:
Two-minute
review

Gaming
laptops
typically
come
in
two
different
flavors:
the
lighter
variant
that
requires
some
performance
compromises,
and
the
desktop
variant
that
is
about
as
mobile
as
a
large
turtle.
The
Origin
EON17-X
v2
is
the
latter.

For
many,
these
desktop
replacements
are
the


best
gaming
laptops
for
them.
While
heavy,
they’re
still
much
easier
to
fold
up
and
transport
than
an
actual
desktop.
You
just
wouldn’t
want
to
carry
it
around
on
your
back
all
day.
Yet,
they
still
have
the
bona
fide
internals
to
allow
playing
AAA
games
on
higher
settings
with
ray
tracing
and
all
that
jazz.
Unfortunately,
it
shares
some
of
the
drawbacks
of
these
types
of
computers
with
its
loud
fans
and
issues
with
thermal
efficiency,
not
to
mention
it
blows
hot
air
out
its
sides
around
where
one
would
most
likely
have
their
hand
when
using
an
external
mouse.

On
the
bright
side,
it
comes
with
a
large,
sharp,
and
vibrant
screen
like
the


best
17-inch
laptops.
And
like
some
of
those
bigger
models,
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2
gets
up
there
in
price.
Depending
on
what
you’re
looking
for
–
especially
if
you’re
looking
for
a
powerful
gaming
laptop
with
an
HD
UV
printed
lid
–
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2
might
be
the
gaming
laptop
for
you.

Origin
EON17-X
v2:
Price
and
availability

•  How
  much
  does
  it
  cost?
  Starting
  at
  $3,400.00
  (about
  £2,610.00
  /
  AU$5,120.00)
•  When
  is
  it
  available?
  Available
  now 
•  Where
  can
  you
  get
  it?
  Available
  in
  the
  US 

Though
the
basic
configuration
listed
on
the
Origin
site
for
the
EON17-X
v2
is
discounted
down
to
$2,480
at
the
time
of
writing,
it
generally
starts
at
$3,400.00
(about
£2,610.00
/
AU$5,120.00).
Even
if
that’s
one
of
those
deals
where
it’s
constantly
discounted
so
most
are
never
paying
that
price,
this
is
still
an
expensive
computer.
That
said,
$2,400
is
a
much
more
accessible
price
and
an
easier
one
to
swallow.

Even
that
basic
configuration
is
plenty
powerful
as
well.
It
comes
with
an

Intel
Core
i9
CPU,

Nvidia
GeForce
RTX
4080
GPU,
16GB
RAM,
1TB
SSD,
and
a
1440p
screen
with
a
240Hz
refresh
rate.

If
you
want
to
max
out
the
configuration,
which
has
that
same
i9
CPU,
an
RTX
4090
GPU,
64GB
RAM,
8TB
SSD
with
an
additional
8TB
SSD
and
a

4K
screen
with
a
144Hz
refresh
rate
along
with
one
of
the
preconfigured
UV
printed
lids,
the
price
is
going
to
be
$5,681
(about
£4,360
/
AU$8,550).
Now,
those
massive
SSDs
both
add
on
a
lot
price-wise,
specifically
$824
for
the
main
8GB
SSD
and
an
additional
$930
for
the
additional
8TB
SSD.

The
review
configuration
here
is
a
happy
medium
as
it
keeps
the
Intel
Core
i9,
RTX
4090,
and
4K
screen,
and
pairs
that
all
with
a
more
modest
but
still
very
robust
32GB
RAM
as
well
as
a
2TB
SSD
and
an
additional
2TB
SSD.
That
will
set
you
back
$3,913
(about
£3,000
/
AU$5,890)
give
or
take
(there
are
multiple
options
for
the
same
configuration
of
hard
drives
at
slightly
different
price
points).
Of
course,
it’s
discounted
at
the
time
of
writing
to
$3,098.

Origin
is
not
the
only
game
in
town
for
these
sorts
of
desktop
replacement
laptops
that
are
more
than
likely
to
be
very
powerful,
very
loud,
and
very
stationary.
The


MSI
Titan
18
HX
is
another
such
computer.
It
starts
at
an
even
pricier
$4,999.99
/
£4,379.98
/
AU$6,999
and
comes
with
an
Intel
Core
i9,
RTX
4080,
64GB
RAM,
and
2TB
SSD,
along
with
an
18-inch
screen
with
a
2400p
resolution
and
120Hz
refresh
rate.
The
one
thing
it
does
have
over
the
Origin
is
that
that
screen
has
HDR1000
on
hand.
Still,
it
starts
at
an
even
higher
price
point
for
a
similar
package.

If
you’re
willing
to
compromise,
particularly
on
screen
resolution,
the


Acer
Predator
Helios
18
starts
at
a
much
more
palatable
$1,699.99
(about
£1,339
/
AU$2,576).
Of
course,
the
specs
are
more
modest
as
you
get
an
Intel
Core
i7,
4060
GPU,
16GB
RAM,
1TB
SSD,
and
an
18-inch
1200p
screen
with
a
165Hz
refresh
rate. 

• 
  Value:
  4
  /
  5

Origin
EON17-X
v2:
Specs

All
models
come
with
an
Intel
Core
i9-14900HX
CPU,
but
you
do
have
a
few
ways
to
customize
(and
a
whole
bunch
when
it
comes
to
the
SSDs).
The
GPU
and
screen
are
tied
together,
so
if
you
get
the
cheaper
Nvidia
GeForce
RTX
4080
GPU,
the
PC
will
come
with
the
17.3-inch
1440p
screen
with
the
faster
240Hz
refresh
rate.
If
you
get
the
4090
GPU,
it
will
come
with
a
17.3-inch
4K
screen
with
a
still
blazing
fast
144Hz
refresh
rate.

As
far
as
RAM
goes,
you
can
select
from
16,
32,
or
64GB.
When
it
comes
to
SSDs,
the
options
are
too
numerous
to
mention
here.
I’ll
only
say
that
you
have
options
ranging
from
1
to
8TB
for
both
the
main
and
the
additional
hard
drive.
For
some
sizes,
there
are
multiple
options.

Besides
the
two
different
screens,
there’s
one
other
way
to
customize
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2
externally,
and
that’s
with
the
HD
UV
printed
lid.
For
a
small
upcharge,
you
can
choose
from
19
different
prints.
Or,
for
a
bigger
upcharge,
you
can
upload
your
own
design
to
be
printed
on
the
lid. 

Origin
EON17-X
v2:
Design

•  Massive
  in
  every
  way,
  including
  weight
•  Port
  selection
  is
  great
•  HD
  UV
  printed
  lid
  is
  unique

The
Origin
EON17-X
v2
is
massive.
Yes,
that’s
to
be
expected
of
any
computer
with
a
17-inch
display
not
named

LG
Gram,
but
this
PC
is
16
pounds
(despite
the
fact
that
a
lot
of
the
verbiage
online
says
7.25
pounds).
It’s
clearly
not
meant
to
be
routinely
lugged
around.
It
just
happens
to
be
more
portable
than
an
actual
desktop
setup.
That
said
–
as
I’ll
get
into
below
–
the
battery
life
is
good
enough
that,
if
you’re
actually
comfortable
carrying
around
an
extra
16
pounds,
you
can
use
this
on
the
go.

The
upside
of
the
EON17-X
v2
being
so
big
is
that
it
comes
with
a
large
17.3-inch
display
with
either
a
super
sharp
resolution
(4K
at
144Hz)
or
blazing
fast
refresh
rate
(1440p
at
240Hz).
The
only
thing
really
missing
with
the
display
is
any
kind
of

HDR.

It
also
has
a
full-sized
keyboard
layout
thanks
to
its
larger
size,
which
can
be
customized
with
Macros
and
per-key
RGB
lighting.
The
touchpad
is
likewise
sizable.
Both
work
well,
though
the
keyboard
has
enough
stiffness
that
I
prefer
typing
on
my
MacBook
or
using
an
external
keyboard. 

The
touchpad,
however,
is
very
responsive
and
accurate.
Almost
enough
to
use
during
gaming,
though
it’s
held
back
by
the
fact
that
if
you’re
pressing
down
to
simulate
a
right
click,
you
won’t
be
able
to
left
click.
This
is
a
combination
of
actions
needed
in
games
where
you
would
aim
before
shooting.
Otherwise,
I
was
very
impressed
by
the
touchpad.

Image
1
of
3

The
port
selection
on
here
is
pretty
great.
Though
I
don’t
like
having
ports
on
the
back,
there
are
so
many
that
it
makes
sense.
Anything
outside
of
a
SD
card
reader
is
here.
It
even
has
an
optical
style
audio
jack
to
go
along
with
a
regular
3.5mm
one.
And,
of
course,
two
thunderbolt
4
ports
are
on
hand
as
well.

Taking
a
step
back
and
looking
at
the
whole
package,
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2
is
mostly
matte
black
with
an
aluminum
chassis,
and,
when
open,
only
really
looks
like
a
gaming
laptop
thanks
to
its
size
and
the
RGB
lighting
on
the
keyboard.
However,
the
lid
with
its
HD
UV
printed
design
is
going
to
give
it
away.
Regardless
of
the
design,
it’s
not
a
look
I
would
personally
go
for
(you
can
choose
a
standard
black
lid),
but
it’s
certainly
unique
and
something
that
someone
would
appreciate.

• 
  Design:
  4.5
  /
  5

Origin
EON17-X
v2:
Performance

• Powerful
  performance
• Loud
  fan
• Gets
  hot
  under
  stress

It’s
no
surprise
that
Origin
bills
the
EON17-X
v2
as
“[its]
most
powerful
laptop
ever
designed.”
Its
specs
are
impressive.
It
has
a
top-of-the-line
CPU
in
its
Intel
Core
i9
as
well
as
the
most
powerful
consumer-grade
GPU
with
the
Nvidia
GeForce
RTX
4090
(even
if
you
get
the
4080,
it’s
incredibly
powerful).

It’s
a
testament
to
how
ambitious
Origin
got
that
you
can
still
run
games
like

Cyberpunk
2077,

Red
Dead
Redemption
2
and

Hellblade
2:Senua’s
Saga
and
really
push
the
laptop,
ending
up
with
20-30
fps.
But,
that’s
with
maxed
settings
and
ray
tracing
on
full
blast.
Singling
out

Cyberpunk
2077
for
a
second,
I
get
20
fps
with
everything
maxed
out
at
4K
including
ray
tracing.
With
ray
tracing
off,
it’s
29
fps.
At
1080p
with
ray
tracing
off
but
all
the
other
settings
still
maxed
out,
I
get
89
fps.

That’s
actually
pretty
impressive.
And,
with
a
lot
of
AAA
games,
you
can
get
up
to
150
–
160
fps
in
1080p
but
still
with
the
settings
all
the
way
up.

Also
remember
that
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2
is
powering
a
4K
display
(or
1440p
one
if
you
go
the
cheaper-ish
route)
with
a
high
refresh
rate
even
if
you’re
not
fully
utilizing
it.
And
it’s
a
wonderful
display.
Its
Delta
E
>
0.25
is
incredibly
accurate
and
the
color
coverage
is
very
wide,
specifically
insofar
that
it
has
an
sRGB
of
153.5%
and
DCI-P3
of
108.7%.
With
those
numbers
and
the
powerful
internals,
I
could
imagine
doing
quite
a
bit
of
video
editing
on
this
machine.

Where
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2
is
not
quite
amazing
is
in
the
fact
that
its
fans
are
very
loud,
though
you
can
adjust
that
in
Origin’s
Control
Center
app.
I
literally
could
barely
hear
the
maxed
out
audio
of
games
over
it.
Strangely,
the
laptop
still
got
very
hot
under
duress,
measuring
122
degrees
Fahrenheit
(50
degrees
Celsius)
right
above
the
F10
/
webcam
key
in
the
middle
of
the
keyboard. 

More
distressingly
is
the
fact
that
while
there’s
venting
on
the
back
and
the
sides
of
the
computer,
a
lot
of
the
hot
air
is
getting
blown
out
the
sides.
Unless
you’re
using
an
external
keyboard,
you
probably
will
have
your
mouse
and
therefore
your
hand
right
next
to
one
of
the
side
vents.

On
the
bright
side,
if
you
choose
to
use
the
speakers
instead
of
external
headphones,
the
audio
sounds
decent.
Not
a
lot
of
low-end,
but
it’s
full
enough.
More
importantly
for
a
gaming
computer,
it
actually
has
a
decent
soundstage
so
you
can
hear
what’s
supposed
to
be
on
the
left
or
the
right.

• 
  Performance:
  4
  /
  5

Origin
EON17-X
v2:
Battery
life

• Solid
  battery
  life
  for
  a
  gaming
  laptop
• No
  fast
  charging

I
always
say
this
when
I
review
gaming
laptops,
but
it’s
worth
repeating.
They’re
notorious
for
having,
at
best,
mediocre
battery
life.
So,
to
test
a
17-inch
model
with
very
robust
specs
and
have
it
last
a
little
more
than
seven
and
a
quarter
hours
in
our
web
surfing
battery
informant
test
is
very
impressive.
Typically,
I
expect
to
see
two
to
three
hours
of
battery
life
in
these
kinds
of
machines.

Also
worth
noting
is
that
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2
does
not
have
fast
charging
on
hand.
However,
that’s
more
the
purview
of
Ultrabooks.
On
the
bright
side,
you
do
have
some
customization
over
how
the
laptop
charges
in
the
Control
Center
app
so
you
can
set
it
to
charge
when
it’s
under
70%
and
stop
at
80.
You
can
also
select
your
own
personal
parameters.
That’s
a
nice
feature
if
you
care
about
the
longevity
of
the
physical
battery.

•  Battery
  life:
  4.5
  /
  5

Should
I
buy
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2?

 Buy
it
if…

Don’t
buy
it
if…

Also
Consider

If
our
Origin
EON17-X
v2
review
has
you
looking
for
other
options,
here
are
two
laptops
to
consider…
 

How
I
tested
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2

•  Tested
  for
  two
  weeks
•  Used
  it
  for
  work,
  gaming,
  and
  streaming 
•  Pushed
  it
  as
  hard
  as
  possible
  with
  demanding
  games

I
used
the
Origin
EON17-X
v2
for
two
weeks,
gaming
on
it
primarily,
but
also
typing
up
most
of
this
review
and
watching
/
listening
to
streaming.
I
pushed
it
as
hard
as
possible,
running
AAA
games
at
various
settings
including
at
their
max
to
see
how
it
would
respond.

The
Origin
EON17-X
v2
is
an
interesting
machine
as
it’s
for
a
very
select
group
of
people
who
want
as
much
performance
as
possible,
but
still
want
a
single
laptop
instead
of
all
the
individual
parts
of
a
desktop
setup.

I’ve
spent
the
last
few
years
reviewing
tech
gear
for
gaming
and
otherwise,
where
I’ve
gotten
a
feel
for
what
to
look
for
and
how
to
put
a
piece
of
kit
through
its
paces
to
see
whether
it’s
worth
the
recommendation.

• 
   First
  reviewed
  September
  2024