The Secret Laptop Club

[@Dave2D]

Who's already a member of the club? what do you use?

[@attiyt]

I'm part of the poor club 🤓

[@Lavi-Aemilia-Astori]

My dad's macbook pro 15 mid-2015

[@Dudetechislove]

@@attiyt ayy✌🏼

[@edite4641]

Hi 👋

[@imabot4815]

Not me

[@NoName-is4nk]

You just broke the first rule of secret laptop club..

[@manaspradhan8041]

You sound oddly like a soap seller

[@FirstLast-bi1ve]

Ok boomer

[@narutokunn]

He broke the second rule too dayum!

[@alireza-mv3jh]

Is this his first night here?

[@darkdragonite316]

I see what you did there

[@JustinY.]

*looks at bank account* Looks like the secret laptop club will be continue being a secret then

[@Lavi-Aemilia-Astori]

It is no long a secret laptop club if you say secret laptop club

[@bjently]

ah, we meet again

[@pyr_a660]

Haven't seen you in a while

[@krislimberg255]

your comments are not funny

[@3dtacobro773]

Yer mum gey

[@doctorphosphorus5436]

I have had an eluktronics laptop for 3 years now. I was looking for a gaming laptop so I could take it with me while I had to travel for cancer treatments and a family friend recommended this brand to me. 3 years later the laptop and I are both alive and kicking.

[@wowsuchempty8941]

Hell yeah brother, I’m glad your livin

[@James24127]

Great to hear! Fight on!

[@aknzortuk4027]

How are you doing nowadays?

[@doctorphosphorus5436]

@@aknzortuk4027 doing good

[@bruceisbae3546]

@@doctorphosphorus5436 glad to hear!

[@xSerizawa]

My wallet: All right, then. Keep your secrets.

[@rrteppo]

"inexpensive" over 1k price tag. Ok then I see what kind of video this is.

[@elmaxo1591]

Nice lotr reference

[@srrs007]

,,,,,,

[@campkira]

just junk since the thing don't do well with dust.. nor that plug from the back don't do well with light laptop...

[@mathewgarcia4680]

How much does it cost

[@shadow4780]

What needs to be pointed out is that: Even if performance betweek Eluktronics and Razer is only 5% on the same Spec, the price difference is basically 30-50% in comparison :)

[@William-Morey-Baker]

exactly... not everyone has the kind of money Dave has for his tech... also, he is far too picky about looks... he cares more about looks more then he does performance, and definitely more than price. i get a lot of his viewers are similar, but it's still annoying.

[@nathancasey7712]

@@William-Morey-Baker I think they look better than at least 90% of gaming laptops. And you barely ever look at the bottom vents

[@hereaioan3379]

Exactly ..like who looks under? Because for the rest it’s cool enough ..not to futuristic not to ugly just kind of balanced and when you know how much you’ve paid your always going to like them...curios about the keyboard in very tented to buy one ..cutting edge specs with good screen for 1200€ in Europe ,with these money I buy an 1 year old asus with 4 gb old generation gpu and decent cpu only...

[@grant5941]

Thank you! I was about to comment this myself. I just got a maingear element 17 this month and currently still loving it

[@grant5941]

@@hereaioan3379 the keyboard is definitely different from most laptops but I got used to mine after a few hours of fairly heavy use. It definitely doesn't take "months" like Dave said. And im assuming he's switching over from something that is top of the line in all aspects

[@juliuspasco6825]

Dave calling his Discord subscribers "sweaty laptop nerds" never gets old

[@GrabASpriteB]

Subscribers?

[@KashuKnave]

"The 1st rule of laptop club is not to talk about the laptop club"

[@gamersforlife3440]

lol

[@abhinupur77]

Lmaoo

[@dothesick]

“I don’t use these laptops” -has a stack of 5 of these laptops

[@wheezel55]

Hurts

[@cisco5338]

He's just reviewing them

[@m4rshmelo457]

They are being borrowed

[@peter_parkour]

I appreciate how clean D2D's thumbnails are. They don't give me headaches. Love this video. Very informative. I thought these laptops were just Clevos that have been rebranded. Might consider buying these the next time I need a gaming laptop.

[@itsroskull6327]

I was gonna say, these look just like my clevo

[@jarenlim387]

Clevo (the OEM of these keyboards) has an amazing business strategy. They simply let resellers focus on the high-risk work of business development, marketing, servicing. While they use that reach to negotiate with large vendors like Intel and nVidia to get the components in their devices for cheap

[@_nishantj_]

90% : valuable information 10% : sweat

[@sreeharinair4240]

Man unlike other tech youtubers who just babble about anything apart from the topic, this guy makes short and to the point videos

[@_nishantj_]

@@sreeharinair4240 ikr that's why i love him he's my favourite tech tuber

[@aniketsaha1601]

The only drawback his reviews of laptops are hardly useful to Indians cuz most of the models are not available in India....xd😥

[@georgietorrance]

@@aniketsaha1601I'm not Indian but Indian reviews are best source (somethimes the only source) for low to mid-tier gadgets

[@aniketsaha1601]

@@georgietorrance that's actually true all these review channels show 1000$ laptops seriously who buys that stuff.... I m good with a 600-700 bucks gaming lappy 🤷

[@flamebull5]

These laptops are like the flagship killers of the laptop sector

[@abdelghanim]

they are quite expensive to be called flagship killers

[@BlackParade01]

Legion 5 is flagship killer imo. I bought a brilliant RTX 2060 laptop with NVMe SSD and 16GB RAM for 1000 bucks.

[@carmenvasquez2135]

@@BlackParade01 can you send the link?

[@sicatleemarvint.4240]

@@carmenvasquez2135 up

[@BlackParade01]

@@carmenvasquez2135 it was under 1000 bucks when I bought it, it's now more expensive though: www.paradigit.nl/Lenovo-Legion-5-15IMH05H-81Y60092MH/80056647/product?channel_code=40&product_code=90942738&

[@FooHenky]

Others youtubers : “fancy opening”, .... Dave : “okay,.....” Owh god, i like this guy hahha

[@tewodrosendale2260]

yeah especially it's good for me using mobile data, fast and really good reviews

[@khilarihemanshu7581]

I say the same and all of a sudden i am a racist

[@rollingrocky3608]

@@khilarihemanshu7581 lmao what

[@timl.b.2095]

Such a reasonable and calm reviewer, so easy to listen to.

[@mingyuhuang8944]

These genuinely look so nice. So sleek looking and minimalist with amazing specs. Chinese computer makers are the dark horse of the world

[@colinrindlisbacher4519]

“Don’t be swayed by sweat” love it

[@alreadyfuell]

I just realized, dave sounds like sykkuno with good communication and less anxiety

[@markaj_]

I can't unhear it

[@saif-uc9gw]

@@markaj_i can't stop hearing it dude after you say it gg

[@ichigodesu8975]

Hahaha

[@deathmachineusa2689]

Lol!

[@dallzeeno8859]

I've been using one of those secret laptop club, and I love it! A desktop processor in a laptop, a very worth portable powerhouse.

[@Tomfissh]

Im using a Metabox Alpha from 2014. They use Tong Fen bases and I can vouch for the cooling. While metabox choose decent enough specs, the cases have enormous fans, it keeps really cool, but its insanely loud. The looks are utilitarian but its fine if all you care about is longevity and performance.

[@Fausto_moh]

"don't get swayed by the sweat" make that a t shirt please Dave.

[@mikaelhuostila4005]

"Don't be swayed by the sweat." - Dave 2D

[@mjbernardomusic]

Dave, your videos are so clean. Very minimal cuts while you are one the screen talking which makes it feel more authentic. Simple and concise explanations. Definitely one of the best tech KZbinrs out there!

[@ClownWrldUSA]

I actually love the look of these brick-like laptops.

[@AmineKouki]

I ordered my XMG yesterday ! I am upgrading from a 2013 Lenovo. Quite a leap, very excited.

[@SIDNITE12]

Me a sweaty laptop nerd: pshhhhh, dumb sweaty laptop nerds

[@prplehaze8442]

Do you own one?

[@motorbloxx]

hehe same

[@LimitedWard]

I think it would have been really helpful to include the prices next to each device when comparing fan noise and fps. You said you prefer the razer because performance is close enough that aesthetics wins out, but how much more are you paying for that design?

[@sandipanroy3106]

Agreed 💯

[@tarahkishiro5114]

nailed it

[@ivantan8877]

Agreed, thousand dollar more for aesthetic, i dont have that kind of money 😂

[@januaryloyd8932]

@@ivantan8877 the difference between the razer he showed and the tongfang was around 900 dollars if I remember correctly

[@iriditium197]

I don't think dave cares THAT much about price

[@andrew968]

Great video. I spent months trying to find the right laptop for me and went for the XMG. I wanted great gaming on a budget and this gave me the best for my money. Not too concerned about keyboard and in my opinion the aesthetics are suitable for a work meeting which was my bare minimum. Cheers for shedding your own light on these!

[@quitshibo]

I'm on the XMG FUSION 15 / Core i7 / 64 GB RAM + 2070 Max Q. After some time you'll get used to the keyboard completely. The fan noise is no problem for me. Love this laptop :)

[@krishna1488]

hows the laptop now?

[@CarthagoMike]

One thing you forgot to mention, which is a huge deal for many people that use these, is the large port selection. 2 to 4 USB-A's, USB-C, SD cardslot (which is rare these days), dedicated head- and microphone jacks, and some even have an ethernet port. Many _'premium brand'_ laptops have very few if any ports these days, and if you use your laptop on the go a lot then dongles are basically a no-go.

[@samblack3446]

XMG user here. Another advantage might be the customer service of these smaller brands; as far as I know XMG has one of the best. When my SSD failed within the warranty they sent me a new one (with an even bigger storage capacity) to swap it myself - fast and clean, I loved it!

[@el1xr]

this is the kinda laptops we want, we people to know.

[@donyconjux1]

The price to value ratio you're getting with these laptops is pretty great imo. Just even having the peace of mind in knowing you stretched your dollar as far as it can go is what sets these apart from the rest. I'm not loaded with cash by any means but if I wanna spend my hard earned money on a laptop then I'm definitely going with this. Serves me no purpose as a consumer to pay more money and knowing some of that is going to advertising where there is 0 value in return for the product I'm getting. But to each they're own. Just sharing where my priorities are at.

[@LukeGeoDude]

There are too many confounding variables for that to be true. You have no idea how much is spent on what and how efficient the expenditure is. Besides, some people don't value performance over size, weight, noise, speakers, keyboard and other things. I am one of those people.

[@donyconjux1]

@@LukeGeoDude while that might be true that I don't know how they spend the money, the fact that I don't see ads online from them is enough evidence to assume the likely scenario that they don't spend or do very little expenditure on advertising. The latter part of your statement I have no qualms with because that's personal preference.

[@LeeRaymondCM]

Tong Fang is a brand name coming out of Tsing Hua University associated businesses. In China, it's called Tsing Hua Tong Fang. It's quite a reputable brand name in China. Until this video, I do not know they work with these "boutique" brand names to create these "secret club". Anyway, if you search on Chinese online stores, you can find similar spec machines that's half price of a Razer Blade Pro. For me (live in HK), I would probably NOT go for it because of the support issues that may arise. I'd also have a big question mark on the Chinese - US arguments that may impact US software (Windows) running on Chinese hardware although, on the surface, it should be ok.

[@aliattarwala8971]

I'm just surprised everytime I watch Dave because he doesn't have a written script and instead comes up with things to say on the spot which is something not everyone can do.👏👏

[@universalyoutuber195]

You're doing a great job Dave keep it up.. and also surprise us by looking even more younger after 10 years. May you and your family stay fit👍

[@tahzibsafwan1028]

Dave: *Vents everywhere* Me: Hm, sounds like the imposter is gonna be happy

[@ROOKIE_DARK_ED]

Hahahahah.. Among us

[@mikeo759]

Yo why all my tasks fake??

[@luffyjr699]

RAM and HDD kinda sus

[@kishorkanna5718]

Almost all of his videos start with an Ok or Alright 😂

[@kishorkanna5718]

Ikr

[@normanshiddiq_]

"*heavy breathing* alright..."

[@DavidVega-ef2ur]

Instead of the old school "hey, dave 2d here" :(

[@dhevictor]

You made me check his oldest videos. It's TRUE 😂😂👏👏 How i never noticed?!🤔

[@youneedsomefruits]

Ill take ok or alright over “what is going on” and then continues to plug their socials or someone that does KZbin speak

[@xenonphilius2366]

Clevo : Joke I Am To YOu!? Everyone: si

[@abdullaalzayani6018]

clevo isn't chinese 😉

[@xenonphilius2366]

@@abdullaalzayani6018 its 藍天電腦 taiwan OEM manufacturer, aka the real Chinese.(non "communist")

[@abdullaalzayani6018]

@@xenonphilius2366 Have great respect for ROC and for their democracy and prosperity.

[@iamggpanda]

i just noticed, he has the youtube "lofi for studying/relaxing/coffee break/bomb defusing beats" at the end

[@jurgenklopp156]

Me: Has no money to buy any of these laptops. Me: still watches video

[@krislimberg255]

Me: starts reading your comment Me after reading your comment: this comment wasn't funny

[@aszneehitme8691]

@@krislimberg255 Me:Starts reading your comment Me after reading your comment: YoUr sO EdGy me.me/i/tumnbldgy-high-school-kid-starterpack-tm-a-sooth-%E2%80%9Clove-is-c9535c02e9ae476da8fb588ddae1e86c

[@mansour68]

I'm a member of the broke club, anybody else?

[@ManthanPandYEAH]

🙋

[@faheem3721]

🙋‍♂️

[@januaryloyd8932]

Broke club is another area where tongfang shines tho the motile performance 141 I have is tongfang from a Walmart brand and it was only 250 dollars for a modern ryzen 3 cpu and 4 gigs of ram with an extra slot to upgrade ram and an extra m.2 slot for a second SSD

[@supremeasura3358]

🙋‍♂️

[@BadEnd98]

🙋‍♂️

[@Antzio]

Anyone else get anxiety thinking about how those lights could fall over and shatter?

[@mehulkasliwal7036]

I didn't until you said it, lol.

[@SystemBot]

Anyone else imagining tripping on them and they just cut you open like light sabers?

[@mehulkasliwal7036]

@@SystemBot No

[@anindyaambuj]

Corner of the room, and those are not the usual fluorescent lights.

[@KorosukeM]

Literally had that happen at work this week, two fluorescents propped up against an office chair at far too high an angle, whoever put them their walked off for a second and both fell to their doom 😭

[@cc.jsullivan]

The thinkpad EX95 series laptops aren't exactly cooling powerhouses, but they do have decent price to performance without a lot of modern laptop compromises (good keyboard, decent screens, removable parts, extended service, etc)

[@mohdasyraafsyahmi3250]

You forgot to talk about the warranty. Their service center are not as widely available as the other brands.

[@thorrepstockdue7379]

Please make a new recommendation list for laptops for creatives!

[@LittleB00m13]

Just a warning to anyone interested in these.. Totally anecdotal, but relevant. Customer service was great with Eluktronics, but I had a few serious issues with my P950HR: -Keyboard failed four times due to bad chassis design (happened with many devices, not just mine). -USB issues caused bad performance with VR. -Screen cable broke after a couple years, which was replaceable. Other than that, it was a great laptop. But I don't think they should be as hyped up as they are.

[@93civicin604]

Different chassis but same thing with the keyboard ribbon.

[@moochoopr9551]

Same with broken screen cable

[@ryan199gamer]

Same keyboard problem with my PA71ES.

[@nour4888]

@@ryan199gamer I have a pa71es, was your problem an absence of response occuring sometimes when you press regularily used keys like " w a s d " , Because i can't figure out if it's my fingers or the keys ....

[@ryan199gamer]

@@nour4888 My problem was that the keyboard gradually stopped working, first it was the H key, I had to press it really hard to have it register. then over a few months my W had the same problem So I just got an external mechanical keyboard. I also removed the internal keyboard and my GPU temps got a bit better because more air flow.

[@i-mperium8025]

Dave is the only one on the net I can buy a laptop or a device from him, with my eyes closed, 0% worries, 100% quality. (fully-trusted tech youtuber).

[@ltlai9465]

Back in Malaysia, one of the most famous ODM brand is "illegear". In the video saw "illegear" snapshot. There is also "Tech Armory" but more to business laptop where they also representing Razer, Gigabyte and etc. "illegear" is the only who have nearly the full range. Another brand one is "Level 51", not sure this from Malaysia or Singapore. USD1.00 ~ MRY4.14.

[@saqlainhyder5412]

"Don't be swayed by the sweat" Best quote I ever heard in long while

[@remixisthis]

I bought a MAG-15 and returned it 1-2 weeks later for a Zephyrus G14. Like you said, it's a high performing laptop, but the little things became big things for me. The device felt too fragile to be portable, and I couldn't be productive on the keyboard due to the awkward arrow key placement and other factors. When I was watching reviews of the laptop online, I was very surprised most of the reviewers didn't mention it, but it's not a big deal if you're only using it for a few days. I still like it, but it feels like it's designed more for gaming than an all-round Macbook 13 + gaming replacement I wanted. I also agree on the Reddit point. In a lot of those Reddit groups and some KZbin review channels, there's a strong bias to focus on raw performance above all else.

[@sagbag856]

i agree and disagree on the bias ting. but i also had a mag and returned it and settled with a helios 300 and i am super happy with it. tbh i feel razer laptops are overrated and had far too many problems with those. though zephyrus is an amazing line up. been thinking about getting the acronym collab. love the typography stuff in that one.

[@lukasegeling5205]

I have a HP Omen 15 (2019 model) with an RTX2070 max-Q. It's a bit bulky and heavy, but it's well built and I'm not afraid to shove it into my backpack. Gaming performance is great, but it's also perfectly suitable for schoolwork. I've had it for a year now and it has been perfectly reliable.

[@ajfev1092]

Just remember there will never be a “good time” to buy. Even when they make the 3000 series gpu’s for laptops they will be the equivalent of the 2000 series once the 4000 series comes out and that will continue to happen until competition just makes them lower the price enough to make them go bankrupt along with the competition

[@Mystery017]

There are no good times to buy but there are bad times. Eg: when the laptop has just come out. RTX laptops in the beginning of 2019 were going for 2000-3000 and by the end of 2019 had dropped by 500euros, now at the end of 2020 they are still the most powerful laptops. There is also no guarantee that 3000 series laptops are going to be any good becasue 3000 series GPUs require LOTS of power and heat dispersion....so if the 3080 is 70% better than the 2080 the 3080mq is probably going to be around 25% better than the 2080mq. So right now is a GREAT time to pick up a 2080mq before stocks run dry, and in January its a terrible time to pick up a 3080mq. in September 2021 it will start to be a good time to pick up a 3080mq What do you think :) just my opinion

[@ajfev1092]

What he said

[@aerohydra3849]

@@Mystery017 Yes, never buy laptops when they are brand new if you are price-conscious, since less conscious folk will pay a premium for the latest stuff. The best time to buy is when the next gen starts to roll out, since they usually discount the older gen. In reality, the difference is not that huge if you lag a generation behind and you'll save a couple hundred bucks as you can pick older laptops up for a bigger discount.

[@ayaanlasheen2903]

Can you please do a best gaming laptops of 2020 video! I'm so indecisive and I've been looking for a thin and light laptop for over 5 years now but I keep holding out so I could get the holy grail of laptops! I don't trust anyone's word but yours, I cant wait!!

[@oatbear8243]

I just ordered a Tuxedo Pulse, a Tongfang with Ryzen and with Linux preinstalled.

[@IH8TEXIYI]

That's a really cool gaming laptop

[@TheCooledV]

Bruh

[@excaliber2845]

Bruhhhhh

[@gotworc]

shut up

[@excaliber2845]

@Alexander Leonardo Tournier oh noooo

[@Christosan88]

Why would one care about what the under side of their lap top looks like? Cooling performance should be the priority.

[@GiuseppeFamiani2209]

I have one of those from a couple of months, coming from 2 asus rog of 2000 euros that always have defect (2 motherboard and battery fault last one, display 3 times first one). I choose to change and give a shoot buying the equivalent of max 17 here in europe (pcs vyper 17) and oh boy i love it. Design is just awesome, seems like a business laptop, magnesium feel sturdy, much more rigid than any other laptop i had before, glass touchpad, good screen (on par with my older rogs), but 4 things are to say that you dave lost here. My laptop has mux switcher, i can be fully nvidia or even fully intel gpu, and that's the biggest thing, it have big performance hit in games, and it have big performance hit in battery life (in integrate gpu mode i cover 9 hours with browsing and office, NINE, with that 92wh battery, is like having a different type of machine). Then go back home and enable again optimus (6 hours of battery life with the same use) or nvidia only gpu mode (allows better performance, dsr, fast sync and many other things that you can have only when display is connect ed to nvidia). Even the keyboard is good one, key actuation is precise (much more than rogs that are a bit mushy) but as you said need some weeks to type good cause keys are a bit too narrow one from another, and lacks nkey rollover (the real problem is this, not the way to have to adapt to key size and space). But for the rest in every aspect this laptop is a beast, is reliable (right asus? when you will be reliable in time?), no sw problem, my 10875h pushes out 4200 points on r20 compared to 3500 3600 of msi and other razer laptops, and 2070 super 115w is a real deal. All of this for what price? 1800 euros, basically HALF the price of a less performant (and less reliable i will say) razer or msi gs/zephyrus series. You will loose something in the switch for them? For my actual experience absolutly not, having one of those you understand how are detailed every single aspect of those pc, from the heatsink layout, to every other aspects of the case (and perforated bottom cover and side cover is just a big pro compared to closed ones... If you remember that recently for example asus was accused to fall back in performance many laptops cause of closed vents).

[@amirbahalegharn365]

clevo too please make a complete video about clevo ones with desktop cpus,from mx250/mx350 equipped with i9 9900/9900t/10900/10900t, the NBXX series, all the way up to rtx2070 versions and compare them to current brand's models ,price-wise....for 1% low smoother gaming plus productivity.

[@jumbroni6014]

I'm a member of the " waiting for HP OMEN 2020 With best specs to go on sale but ive been waiting for 8weeks so I'm getting close to buying something I don't want club!"

[@ItsVab]

"Don't be swayed by the sweat." -Dave Lee 2020

[@marmmz3455]

I'm from Malaysia and I use the Asian variant of them, ILLEGEAR 1:29. I'm not too sure about performance comparison because I've never had experiences on the well-known brands. But games run smoothly on it, fan noise not too obnoxious and the price was probably about 1000 bucks.

[@dzuhrynain]

Now still good?

[@Th3Shrike]

I've honestly been staying away from them because the price seems too suspiciously cheap...

[@animationmaniacjr]

There's nothing suspicious about it, the chassis the Tongfangs use are just generally more chunky meaning they can cool effectively more cheaply, i.e. foregoing the need for complex, expensive thermal solutions. The more expensive brands tend to have those more expensive thermal solutions that allow them to have more compact and stylish form factors compared to the Tongfang line up. I know that's one of the reasons I didn't go for a Tongfang; I just couldn't get behind their aesthetic (bit chonky, very mid keyboards, fan noise, that kind of thing). I went with a Lenovo Legion 5P (Ryzen 7, RTX 2060) in the end, and I'm so happy I did because the keyboard is heaven, the fans are reasonably quiet and it has a visual style that I'm happy to take to work, all things I might not say about a Tongfang chassis.

[@shuvamsky]

N-NAni?!?!

[@rmand2573]

because you are used to pay apple prices... ooops..✌️

[@CarthagoMike]

These are mass-produced and the plastic used is cheaper than those 'magnesium-coted' plastics premium brands like to sway around with. The components inside are also standardized, making them cheaper to mass-produce. This all brings down the cost of the devices.

[@NathanMooreIBN]

Bought one from Walmart last year. Evoo Gaming. 16GB, 512GB SSD, 1660ti, 9th gen i7 for $799. Recently spent $100 on 32GB RAM to replace the 16. You can't beat the bang for buck.

[@tonysoviet3692]

They are even cheaper here in Vietnam and Hong Kong, around $1000 you'll get a RTX 3070 laptop, that's basically the current resell price for the card itself in the States.

[@ThomasSaunders]

I'm on the XMG Fusion 15 and I love it

[@ivanserrano5511]

I've just received the european variant of the mechrevo code 01, and it is an amazing laptop. Absolutely recommend it to laptop enthusiast who are looking for a light workstation, with a 90 wh battery, a 100% rgb display an a ryzen 4000H that performs crazy well.

[@danialraisham8133]

Illegear is most common in SEA countries like Malaysia, since I'm using the Ionic Series.

[@RichardsWorld]

Over the last 20 years or so I bought a few Sager laptops in the US and they are pretty decent.

[@alantodd5823]

I'm a member of a secret club. Nice. I'm running an Optimus XI 17.3 from PC Specialist with GTX1650 GPU and a i7 10750H CPU. At just over £1000 I think I got a deal.

[@thesidneychan]

I actually got drawn to these because of your earlier review on the MAG 15 "The Impossible Gaming Laptop". I have the Illegear Selenite Pro (which I think would have been the Mag 17) and it was one of the earliest 17in thin and light laptops to get the RTX2070 Max P variant at the tail end of last year. I don't care too much about the design aesthetic aside from the ridiculously small size and weight (For a 17 inch), but the price point was what made it so attractive because they accepted a 2 year instalment plan where others only accept 1 year. The company also did make its own original custom 15in laptop that's only 1.5kg. These laptops do have loud fan noise and soft speakers though and the 240hz screen isn't free from ghosting, and the nose cam is just tragic. These laptops tend to be good for long term too. They can still even service an older, clevo-based laptop I bought in 2014.

[@user-dj7kc2li4c]

Who cares about how much it weighs. Just go to the gym? What the fk.

[@thesidneychan]

@@user-dj7kc2li4c I have back pains from carrying heavy laptops alongside my other equipment and camera gear, and it's been progressively worse. This is not something that can be solved by going to a gym. I travel a lot. Laptop weight matters to me. I care.

[@user-dj7kc2li4c]

@@thesidneychan I’m really trying to understand. Doesn’t your body adapt to the added load? I lift a lot and my backpack weighs around 9kgs and it doesn’t feel like that much.

[@thesidneychan]

@@user-dj7kc2li4c I've been carrying heavy loads on my back for years and never thought it would be an issue to me until I started getting back pains. I'm 32 now and starting to feel the sore. Been gradually reducing my carry weight. I switched from a dslr to a Mirrorless. A chunky laptop to an ultra book. I think I used to be able to adapt more, but now it's probably going to be unhealthy for me to keep doing it. I don't do lifting but my years of carrying chunky cameras sort of became my exercise. Sometimes I'm out photography or video gigs and there's no safe place to put my bag down, so I'm running and gunning while carrying an entire studio on my back. And the distance I need to cover is far. That laptop basically becomes dead weight when I'm not using it. I need to be flexible and more nimble in these situations. But the discomfort while travelling long stretches really takes a toll after a while.

[@abhigyandatta13]

The problem I have with tongfang chassis in 2020 is that: First they all lack USB charging, which means you can take them to work for light productivity without taking a power brick (just take your 45W charger) , and more importantly they have no warranty coverage outside the country they were bought in. Global warranty is something provided by bigger companies like MSI, and that’s important for people who travel. Plus you even can’t buy it in a lot of countries like South America, India, Middle East. Another problem with these laptops are quiet mode performance. These laptops tend to have very good cooling, but only with loud fans. Their chassis is small and light and isn’t good at cooling with the fans in silent mode. If you look at Jarrods tech video on the heavier MSI GE66 Raider he mentions just how good the performance is in silent mode. It’s considerably better than an equivalent Mech G3, however the latter pulls ahead when both are at Max fans. Not to say that the Mech G3 isn’t a better overall performer while being lighter, it definitely is, but because it’s small and light it can output extreme performances only with loud fans, and silent mode performance suffers a bit. Whereas something like a Razer balances the noise production to performance levels far, far better. And lastly like Dave mentioned the keyboard is just too cramped. Even the mechanical one from Mech G3 is just too cramped for what I like.

[@jl_bat]

The usb c charging problem, haizzzz

[@abhigyandatta13]

James Lee it’s something present on many good laptops this year and after using it I can’t go back. I can recharge my laptop to 100% using my power bank, that’s insane. Allows me to spend 12-15 hours without going near a plug.

[@abhigyandatta13]

Nathaniel12345678910 I tried the Mech G3, it was just way too cramped even if it was a mechanical keyboard. I prefer Lenovo and Alienware keyboards as well, they do it best and Dave has mentioned how good they are as well in respective videos.

[@abhigyandatta13]

mad rooster not gonna even bother explaining this one

[@SliderFury1]

You're not looking for a pure gaming laptop then, you're looking for something powerful but more multipurpose and that's fine. But you sure are gonna pay out the nose for a handful of convenient features and a slightly better keyboard. If that's worth it to you, cool, but it wouldn't be for most people if they knew about these, and especially if they were going to use them almost exclusively for gaming.

[@mattpenguin3030]

3:27 “They still charge a reasonable price” *$50 thermal paste upgrade*

[@vzheng99]

Lol

[@usernameusername4037]

bruh conductonaut is no joke, it's liquid metal

[@giftsonkuruvila7104]

It's reasonable

[@CarthagoMike]

hence why it is an 'upgrade', you are free to just have the standard paste.

[@mohdasyraafsyahmi3250]

nah in my country the Kyronaut upgrade is foc

[@giodc8599]

I just bought an Aftershock laptop 2 weeks ago and i am happy with it. 4800H and GTX2060 with clocks that get to around 2000mhs in a very well cooled chassis at a competitive price. Couldn't say no to that.

[@kurgo_]

Customizable is putting it mildly. I always use a Spanish keyboard in Windows because it's better than the one from my native language but with these laptops I could actually get a physical Spanish keyboard (which is a godsend when you forget which key does what).

[@nathancasey7712]

Another benefit is they don't overheat like some other brands, ahem.

[@mattyin3229]

Other brands running on intel cpus. Out of date comment.

[@TechWithSean]

These are what the Walmart EVOO/Overpowered laptops were.

[@januaryloyd8932]

And the Walmart motile performance laptops, I have a 141 that's really nice for the price

[@nikhilb3880]

How everyone starts: Hey guys, How dave2d starts: OKAY.

[@appletheepal4429]

Hey Dave, for the Asian market, the ILLEGEAR RAVEN equipped with an i5 10300H (with i7 as an option) and GTX 1650 would cost around 830 USD (converting from MYR). However, I do have people that I know have problems with these devices, saying that they break down and have to send them back for repairs quite often, though it may only be one time and they're exaggerating their experience.

[@a-man-of-heart]

There are five of them on your table, subscribers deserve a giveaway.

[@devon1on]

Yeah, I've got one of these! The Apex 15, with the 3950x!

[@jessexiong4756]

Dave: Posts Me: C L I C K S

[@prplehaze8442]

Aoomer humor

[@atinyknobofbutter9015]

@@prplehaze8442 boomer*

[@prplehaze8442]

@@atinyknobofbutter9015 actually it's so bad it finished the cycle and got back to a

[@massam9343]

i love this review about those underrated laptop. Thank you so much for making such an honest review ^_^

[@codyl1992]

That 59-60db fan noise vs the 50-51 is HUGE. I used to use a clevo type laptop...great performance but man, the fans are just insane.

[@jackwang8923]

It’s a brand formed by Tsinghua University in Beijing, former called Tsinghua Tongfang.

[@nblade66]

Dave: "Secret Laptop Club" Me: Sees my laptop in the video :O I'm running an Eluktronics Mag-15 with a 1660ti, btw

[@SNL5907]

same

[@aramasabroadbent5904]

same

[@kangsusuh4919]

same

[@jimmy7146]

Whats the cpu and price?

[@draco89123]

Didn't know it was a secret. Eluktronics has some of the nicest panels, that's why I got one a couple years ago. I think you reviewed the 15" version Dave.

[@adedayotoheeb5161]

Hey Dave, I am a big fan of your channel and I need your assistance, could i get any of your old laptops you aren't using?

[@p0613v]

The gateway creator 15 with rtx 2060 is based on the same model rebranded . On sale at walmart for 699.99. regular price is 999.99

[@profetik777]

Excellent framing in the intro ti capture that underground group of enthusiasts who make these kind of recommendations

[@aakashshrivastav5982]

He is finally back reviewing laptops after a long time. Otherwise, he was busy in making videos of "Lets Talk" 😂

[@MyReviews_karkan]

I'm still waiting for Dave to cover some Linux laptops.

[@real_dddf]

doesn't linux just run on everything (or you can get it to work after some fiddling and compromises). There's like only a few dedicated linux laptops and they are really only for true enthusiasts with money to blow.

[@MyReviews_karkan]

@@real_dddf Linux doesn't work on just "everything".There are plenty of laptops that Linux either doesn't run on at all or would run but would have a ton of problems. For example, it won't run on some MacBook models at all, and on some it would run, but somethings don't work, like wifi or Bluetooth for example. Also, Linux has improved so much now that gaming on it is better than it is on windows in many cases. Also, there are more than a few laptops that are dedicated for Linux. There are now several companies that are releasing laptops with Linux pre-installed including Lenovo and Dell. You don't have to be a true enthusiast to buy one of those laptops. There are some very reasonably priced Linux laptops out there and there are those expensive ones, just like windows and Mac. Linux just runs much much better on older hardware. It is extremely stable if you don't break it yourself. But it is so open and fun that a lot of people keep messing with it until they break it. I'm guilty of that myself. Lol

[@MyReviews_karkan]

@@MKDC-5 True actually. But they're mostly for kids, schools and those who just want to surf the web. But you have a point. :)

[@jek3362]

I picked up the 17" Version of the Legion 4800h, 2060RTX ...

[@CarthagoMike]

Not a bad buy, have fun with it!

[@CulturalToast]

I got the 15.6 inch version. 17.3 is too big for my preference.

[@somecat2993]

was looking for my next gaming laptop... looks like I found myself a club to go along with it.

[@iau]

My current laptop is from 2013 and it's obviously due for an upgrade. I'm literally just waiting for D3D to review a GTX3000 laptop favorably to buy one 🤗. Dave! Keep being the voice of the average electronics consumer on KZbin. We need you.

[@lake5044]

Why don't laptops have standardized keyboards that can be swapped? That would drive up sales significantly!

[@Filipolis]

Because that would make them thicker. That's also the reason why few laptops still have removable batteries these days

[@lake5044]

@@Filipolis How is that gonna make them thicker? You swap your keyboard with another laptop-keyboard. They just agree to manufacture all laptop-keyboards with the same standardized dimension and ribbon connector but with different key layouts, so if you don't like the tiny arrows, you buy another laptop-keyboard. Does that make sense? And if you think standardizing keyboards is never gonna be a thing, then how about each manufacturer making different keyboards for the same laptop?

[@JR-mk6ow]

Tongfang and Clevo yeah, they have the best value for gaming / performance. But they are more like Desktops with a little battery. Their performance suffers without AC and it doesn't last that long cause of 144hz screens and big chips. Also for Linux it's hit-or-miss btw. Some work seamlessly and others are crap (no fan control, Intel chips always at max frequency (not boost) , screen brightness, keyboard drivers, TouchPad, etc). I'm currently using a Clevo as Windows machine for Adobe programs and gaming. It's OK, I might get another in the future but, as you said, they are not perfect.

[@ProfOtaku39]

Hi m8. Im planning to get Colourful(basically Clevo rebrand) X15 AT. Its got i7 11800H + RTX 3060(110w) What do you says about this specs m8?? And can they performance good for aaa games since they are to cheap for an i7 11th gen and rtx 3060. And how about your Clevo laptops now?? Still good , I mean the hardware and the display??

[@horusosiris5488]

XMG is great, love it

[@TheMash84]

Became part of the club at the end of August. Bought the UK equivalent of MAX-15 (PC Specialist Vyper III). Beast of machine in a very thin form factor. Hard to throttle, excellent cooling system, magnesium build for 1550£ for a i7 8 core, 2070 Max-P 115W, Samsung 870 Evo Plus, DDR4 32GB configuration. And it's got switchable GPU in BIOS! You can run the laptop in direct dGPU mode disabling the iGPU! I've been playing with it in VR with my Oculus Rift S, just buying a USB-C Display Port adapter and no issues so far! Most important thing, I've asked them directly if I could replace the thermal paste by myself. They replied I can do and the warranty isn't void at all! (unless you break something of course). Of course these aren't laptop for everyone as they need more fine tuning for a good noise-temp-performance ratio as well as battery life. For me, I've managed to tune mine to last 6 hours, or even 8 hours (estimated) with office usage and browsing (with some KZbin videos watching). Considering it packs an 8 core CPU and it has a small 62Wh battery, I'm quite happy with the results!

[@niklassilen4313]

Clevo p170em user here since 2012. Still going strong. Secret Clevo laptop club unite!

[@tamal]

What about security? Also, I'm not skilled enough to know if they add a backdoor in their bios update.

[@katho714]

Good question