AVADirect Clevo P270WM Conclusion

Heat and Noise
Since the Clevo P270WM is basically an updated version of the X7200 chassis it handles the intense heat output from the powerful processor and graphics cards very well. That being said, the desktop processor and dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M GPUs aren't exactly cool customers. When you stress this gaming rig with a graphically intense game on the highest settings the four cooling fans kick into high gear and start moving extremely hot air out the rear exhaust vents. All of the internal components remained within their recommended operating temperatures and the bottom of the notebook didn't get too hot. That said, the top deck of the notebook gets pretty warm to the touch as heat rises from the dual graphics cards. The external case temperatures shown below are listed in degrees Fahrenheit:

Compared to your average notebook the cooling fans on the Clevo P270WM get pretty loud, but this is par for the course for a high-performance gaming notebook. While idle, the fans won't be too distracting but you'll want to turn up the speaker volume when gaming if you don't want the fans to overpower the game audio.

Battery Life
Before we look at the battery life of this configuration of the P270WM, it's important to discuss the power adapter ... or rather, the DUAL power adapters. Clevo designed the P270WM to run on a single massive 300W power brick or two 300W power bricks connected to a 2-to-1 adapter module. Why two power bricks? Because it's possible to configure this chassis with relatively high voltage processors, dual graphics cards, multiple internal storage drives, and connect a variety of power-hungry accessories to all of those ports we previously mentioned. If you're running the CPU, dual GPUs, drives and ports at their full power draw it's possible to exceed the performance of a single 300W power brick. So, if you want to be mobile with the P270WM you will not only have to carry a HUGE power brick ... you might have to carry two.

Still, it's worth mentioning that we didn't have to use the second power adapter while gaming or benchmarking the system as configured. We got roughly the same frame rates and benchmark scores in our lab regardless of whether we used one adapter or two. However, if you get this configuration and connect a bunch of devices to the USB ports you will likely need that second brick.

Typical Toshiba power brick (left) next to Clevo power brick (right)

Two included Clevo power bricks and 2-to-1 power adapter

Generally speaking, gaming notebooks never have the best battery life. The main reasons for this are the power hungry CPUs and even more power hungry GPUs. Although this P270WM is packed with a high-capacity 78.44Wh battery, that is pretty meager compared to the power consumption of the Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 6-core processor and dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M graphics. In our tests with the screen brightness reduced to 70%, wireless active and refreshing a webpage every 60 seconds, and Windows 7 on the Balanced profile the notebook stayed on for just 58 minutes. In short, the battery performance of this notebook is more akin to an uninterrupted power supply (an emergency battery backup for when the power goes out in your home) rather than a typical notebook battery designed for extended use.

Battery life test results (higher scores mean better battery life):

Conclusion

The AVADirect Clevo P270WM deserves credit for being the FIRST all-powerful gaming notebook we've seen with the new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M graphics cards in SLI configuration. However, all that power comes at power comes at a price ... both in terms of the cash you need to spend and in terms of the massive size and weight of the notebook.

Calling the Clevo P270WM a thick and heavy notebook is like saying the Eiffel Tower is a large antenna. While the statement is technically correct, it fails to convey the overwhelming scope of the object. The Clevo P270WM is MASSIVE. If you pack this notebook and both power bricks you end up with a travel weight equivalent to about two Alienware M17x gaming notebooks. If you look up the term "desktop replacement notebook" on Wikipedia there should be a photo of this notebook there.

It's fair to say the AVADirect Clevo P270WM with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M graphics cards in SLI configuration delivers the best gaming experience of any notebook we've reviewed to date. That said, there are multiple companies here in the US that will offer similar configurations this year based on the same Clevo P270WM chassis. It's also fair to point out that a machine like this is really only meant for people who insist upon having the best possible performance in a notebook form factor. The AVADirect Clevo P270WM is essentially a desktop pretending to be a notebook ... and it weighs about as much as most desktops as well.

Pros:

• Cutting edge performance ... if you cut with a lightsaber.
• Fantastic selection of ports
• Amazing customization options

Cons:

• Massive size and weight
• Battery is little more than a UPS
• Extremely expensive as configured

Individual Ratings: *

Software & Support 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score