Mark confronts the realities of mobile gaming as addressed by XMG.
The XMG brand is one owned by Schenker Technologies, and the C504 was engineered for it by hardware expert Gigabyte.
Whoever is actually responsible, this is a rather well made laptop that uses a combination plastic and metal skin to deliver a good sized machine that's just over 2kg in weight.
The balance for any mobile system for gaming is to provide sufficient CPU and GPU power against battery life and heat generation. In the first two criteria, the C504 doesn't hold back in providing plenty of grunt.
At its heart is an Intel Core i7 471OHQ, a quad-core CPU with a base clock of 2.5GHz and clock boost up to 3.5GHz. On the review model, it was coupled to 16GB of 1600MHz DDR3 SoDIMM RAM, to smooth out any execution wrinkles.
The Core i7 has a built-in Intel HD 4600 that wouldn't make any gamer’s heart skip a beat, but XMG has also incorporated a discrete GPU in the form of a Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M with 6GB of GDDR5 display memory.
That's a necessity, because Intel's GPU wouldn't be driving the 15.6" 1080p resolution IPS panel in a 3D title nearly fast enough. The GTX 870M is singularly more impressive video hardware, having considerably more bandwidth and numerous more shaders. Using these, it can deliver smooth frame-rates and high detail levels on most PC titles, especially with the Core i7 471 OHQ pushing it.
Testing the gaming possibilities using the latest release of Futuremark's 3DMark, this system is very close to a GTX 760 on my hex-cored i7 X79 test rig. In mobile gaming terms, that's quick enough for most gamers.
But gaming isn't just about graphics, it's also about having sufficient storage to hold a selection of titles and maybe even record your play.
The review model had two internal drives, a 256GB mSATA Samsung 840 EVO SSD and a HGST 1TB conventional drive. The combination allows high speed Windows 8.1 booting off the SSD, but plenty of capacity left elsewhere for apps and data. There's place for a slim optical drive also, although the review model didn't have one installed. Alternatively, this space can be occupied by an additional 2.5" hard drive, and there’s also room for an extra mSATA SSD inside, bringing the storage tally to four drives.
The only caveat to all these possibilities is that, with the exception of the 2.5" drive that utilises the optical drive slot, accessing all the others involves dismantling the machine. The only easily user accessible upgrade is the memory, with two SoDIMM slots living under a removable panel.
Where the C504 really stands out though is in the port department - something that laptop makers too often forget. There are four full-size USB ports, of which two are the USB 3.0 standard. Video output to an external display is through VGA, HDMI (mini) and DisplayPort, and there’s a gigabit LAN port and a 6-in-1 SD card slot reader.
So what are the weaknesses of the C504? It's the balance, rather than any specific feature that seems off. While the GTX 870M delivers the smooth gameplay, it doesn't do it without making the machine somewhat noisy and rather warm.
For extended gaming, you'll need an actively cooled stand to keep the machine and your knees from overheating. You'll also be on mains power, which does pose the obvious question of how this differs from a desktop other than the portability or the pretence of being sociable.
Those imagining that they'll take this on a trip and game along the way also might be disappointed, because prolonged play on battery isn't realistic. Not doing much, the battery states it will last about three hours and 20 minutes, but those estimates drop rapidly once the GPU starts working. If you can get an hour of killing alien hordes, then you'll be doing very well.
The other consideration is price, although at this specification, this was never going to be an inexpensive option. If you're willing to have less RAM, smaller storage and the slightly slower GTX 860M, you can get the cost below a grand.
My only concern is that because this is based on older HM87 Express technology and a first generation Haswell, newer technology might overtake it soon. But that's something PC owners must learn to accept as being inevitable based on the technology churn.
Overall, I liked the XMG C504, as it provided a viable mobile games platform without straying too far from the path of practicality. Mark Pickavance
A powerful gaming system you can carry with you.
Features
• Intel Core i7-4710HQ quad-core CPU.
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M 6144MB GDDR5.
• 15.6“ (39.6cm") Full-HD (1920x1080) matte AHVA/ IPS-panel display.
• 16GB (2x8192) SO-DIMM DDR3 RAM 1600MHz Crucial.
• 250GB mSATA SSD Samsung EVO (MZ-MTE250BW).
• 1000GB SATA-Ill 7200rpm HGST Travelstar 7K100.
• Backlit keyboard.
• Intel dual band wireless-AC 7260 (with Bluetooth).
• Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-bit English.
• Standard Warranty: 24-month collect & return (inc part, labour, support shipping).
• Price: £1350
• Manufacturer Schenker Technologies GmbH
• Website: www.mysn.eu