OCZ 17" Whitebook Review

by Charles P. Jefferies

The OCZ Whitebook is a 17-inch high performance gaming notebook. It features dual ATI Radeon video cards in CrossFire and a user-overclockable Intel Extreme quad-core processor. This notebook has the potential for being the fastest notebook we have reviewed to date – join us as we take an in-depth look.

Before I start the review, I would like to give special thanks to Justin Nolte at XoticPC.com for sending us this review unit.

Our review unit has the following configuration:

• 17" WUXGA (1920x1200) Glossy Display (Hardware ID: LGD3901)
• Intel Core 2 Extreme Mobile QX9300 Quad Core (2.53GHz/12MB L2/1066MHz FSB)
• Dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 512MB DDR3 in CrossFire
• 4GB (2 SODIMMS) DDR3 1066MHz Dual Channel Memory
• 640GB RAID 0 (2x Western Digital 320GB 7200RPM Scorpio Black (WD3200BEKT))
• Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
• Built-in Intel PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n
• Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
• Integrated Bluetooth EDR
• Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
• 12-cell Smart Li-ion Battery (6450mAh/14.8V)
• Integrated Fingerprint Reader
• Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit w/ Drivers and Utilities CD's
• 3-Year Complete Care Full Parts/Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping both ways - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll-Free Telephone Tech Support

This configuration is priced at $3,367 as of publishing; it starts at $1,725.63 from XoticPC.com. The most expensive options in our review unit are the Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core processor (+$895), second ATI video card (+$230), and Windows Vista Ultimate (+$195).

Build and Design

The OCZ 17" Whitebook is large and heavy; it weighs ten pounds with the battery pack, is 15.63 inches wide, 11.81 inches in depth, and is 1.65 inches thick. The appearance of the machine is relatively simple – designer style was not the focus of the engineers. The Whitebook has a traditional rectangular laptop shape, with no out-of-place or erratic design gestures. It is not likely to draw too much attention in public.

The Whitebook is constructed from strong plastic. The majority of the Whitebook's viewable surfaces, with the exception of the keyboard itself and the sides of the chassis, have a glossy black finish. This machine attracts fingerprints quite easily, so be sure to invest in a some microfiber towels.

The build quality of the notebook is top notch; the Whitebook feels extremely solid. The palmrests and surfaces surrounding the keyboard are inflexible. The chassis resists twisting, indicating a strong internal frame. The lid's hinges are strong and hold the display in place well. Unfortunately, the lid feels like it could use extra reinforcement since pressing in on the back of the lid produces ripples in the display with only minor effort. The display twists rather easily, though the amount of movement is slightly less than average for a 17-inch notebook. This is a large panel, so a degree of movement is acceptable.

The back of the lid has an illuminated logo; our review unit has an XoticPC badge, which looks attractive. The illumination is not too bright and thus the logo is not that noticeable unless the lights are dimmed.

Overall, the build quality is impressive. The simplistic design is a bonus for many; this is one gaming notebook that you can take anywhere without feeling out of place.

Screen

The OCZ Whitebook is offered with one screen only, a 17-inch WUXGA (1920x1200 pixels) panel with a glossy coating. This display is gorgeous; the picture is crystal clear, text is crisp, and there is plenty of contrast. Viewing angles are very good; from the left and right sides there is minimal color inversion, however from up and below inversion is noticeable. The up and below angles are better than those of a typical LCD display, however. For reference, our review unit has an LG panel, model LGD3901.

Speakers

The OCZ Whitebook has two speakers and a mini subwoofer. The sound quality is average; these speakers have a hint of bass thanks to the subwoofer. The speakers are located directly under the palmrest, which means while typing or gaming the sound will be muffled. These speakers are fine for watching Internet videos and similar, but I will get right to the point and tell you to get external speakers or headphones for a better experience. The Whitebook has many external audio options, including optical out, HDMI (7.1 surround sound), and of course a headphone/analog out jack.

One feature worth mentioning is the volume control knob on the right side of the computer; this is an especially nice feature, as it allows for easy and direct volume control. The touch sliders that many notebook makers use can be inaccurate and unreliable.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The chassis is large enough to accommodate a full-size keyboard and separate number pad. The tactile feedback of the keyboard is excellent; the keys have a relatively soft feel, but they are definitive in a sense that you can tell exactly when they are fully depressed. The keyboard has no flex and is quiet. The keys have a smooth matte surface, which will help resist wear.

A gaming touch are the raised lines on the W, A, S, D, and F keys, which are commonly used in games to control movement. This lets the gamer know where his or her fingers are at all times, without looking at the keyboard.

Some may find the layout of the keyboard to be inconvenient. For starters, its number pad has only three columns instead of the traditional four; all of the expected keys are there, but the new arrangement will take getting used to. Secondly, unless numlock is disabled, there are no dedicated home, end, page up, and page down keys; they are embedded in the arrow pad, and the Function key must be pressed to use them. To someone like myself who uses these keys frequently, this is a serious inconvenience. On a notebook as large as this one, there should have been room for those keys.

The keyboard's backlighting adds to the gaming focus of this machine and is useful for those late-night gaming sessions. The colors can be user-changed; available colors are red, green, and blue. I personally like the blue since it matches the status lights. I would have liked to see slightly brighter backlighting. During the day it is difficult to notice, and even in a dark room it does not stand out.

Overall the keyboard is solid and gives great feedback, but the layout leaves me scratching my head. The backlighting, while dim, is a plus.

The touchpad is traditional and functions as expected. Tracking is easy thanks to the textured matte surface. The right side is a dedicated scroll zone. The buttons are somewhat noisy, but are relatively quiet if pushed down gently.

Input and Output Ports

The Whitebook has a plethora of ports, housing almost every conceivable connection. The eSATA port is much faster than a USB port for connecting an external hard drive, and the HDMI out is great for sending audio and video to an HDTV, projector, or monitor. All in all, the port array is very impressive.

All picture descriptions are left to right.

Left Side: Heat vent, reset button, 7-in-1 card reader, ExpressCard 34/54 slot, hard drive bays (2) (bottom).

Right Side: Volume control knob, headphone jack, microphone jack, IEEE 1394 mini Firewire, USB 2.0 (2), optical out, Kensington Lock slot

Back: AC power jack, Coaxial (enabled with TV tuner), heat vent, eSATA port, VGA out, HDMI out, USB 2.0, Ethernet jack

Front: Optical drive