If you’ve been shopping for a gaming a laptop in the past year, you must have come across Eluktronics laptops. If yes, chances are you were looking for high-end components and beefy hardware on a budget. Well, that’s exactly what Eluktronics are all about.
Eluktronics is both an OEM and ODM fused into one, offering a range of branded gaming laptops. As they say, fortune favors the bold, and that’s hat has stirred the company to its current position in the gaming industry.
Eluktronics is a company which is far more recognized in the gaming world than in daily-use laptops. So, let’s first understand the meaning of OEM and ODM in the world of computing.
An Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) is a company which designs and manufactures a product on a particular specification and is eventually branded by another firm for sale. In tech, such companies include Asus, Dell, Lenovo, and Apple, whose designer products are braded by other companies in the same niche. For a very long time, ODMs have been the sole producers of equipment, but the trend has been changing lately.
That marked the entry of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). While ODMs make the products designs, OEMs on the other hand, specialize in manufacturing products based on designs handed over to them by the Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs). It’s in that category you find companies like Eluktronics, Falcon NorthWest, Origin PC, Xotic PC, Sager, Puget Systems and iBuypower.
If you’re wondering why you should buy an OEM product, yet the ODM has a similar product in the market, let’s break it down. Most of the time we refer to ODM products as mainstream, while the OEM product are referred to as prebuilt, custom built or even boutique built.
So, here is the catch. You’ll find a mainstream PC from an ODM like Acer, such as the Acer Predator Helios 300 with a Core i7-9750H processor, a GTX 1060 Ti graphics card, 256GB SSD and 16GB of RAM. If you’re buying, you’ll have to go with the already specs.
On the other hand, an OEM like Eluktronics comes in why various configuration of the same model, with different features as per your needs. Thus, you’re able to buy a system like the Eluktronics Mech-15 G2, with the same design as the base model, but configured with a Core i-8750H processor, a GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card, 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM.
See the flexibility there. It’s like you’re building your own system, from scratch. So, that’s how OEMs like Eluktronics have managed to emerge strongly from the shadows.
Is Eluktronics a good brand?
Eluktronics brings to the PC gaming market a number of systems, most of them outfitted with the premium components at very reasonable prices. With the assumption that cheap is always expensive, the company, alongside other OEMs have managed to deliver performant gaming laptops for less a grand.
How else do you explain it when an OEM like HP selling its CUK Omen 15t Gamer Notebook of which you get an Intel Core i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 (8GB) Max-Q, 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD? That sounds like a kill, but Eluktronics goes ahead to offer the MECH-15 G2R with the same Core i7-8750H processor, graphics card, a 144Hz screen, a mechanical keyboard and a slick aesthetic. Surprisingly, the Eluktronics machine feels more premium than you’re getting from the HP Omen. You aren’t cutting any corners to get the low price, in any case, the lesser expensive option feels, performs and looks better.
That’s a tradition that has been kept and perpetuated over the years since the days of the Eluktronics W650KK1 that marked the entry of OEMs into the mid-high-end gaming niche. Overall, you’re going to spend anything between $1000 to $2000 for an Eluktronics gaming laptop, in return, you’re getting more value than OEMs, the likes of Acer, Asus or HP can offer.
Most of us prefer mainstream manufacturers for service quality and support, reliability of components and on-going product updates and warranty. Of course, Eluktronics may not match the Support you’ll be getting from the likes of HP or Asus, but they do give you a chance to configure your system during ordering, like you’re building it from down-up, and that’s what I value most in any system.
Design
Eluktronics produces some stunning machines. Most of their gaming laptops are in the midrange category, and sure, they make them from quality materials that are durable, regardless of price range. The design of their laptop is fairly minimalist, with tamed lid but get some bling in the keyboard area. For instance, last year’s Eluktronics N950KP6 came with a single-lit keyboard, but everything has been refreshed in the newer Eluktronics MECH-15 G2Rx that features a customizable RGB light bar and a mechanical per-key RGB keyboard. That’s how their design keeps getting better and better.
Unlike its OEMs competitors, Eluktronics has maintained the aesthetics of its gaming laptops lineup. The laptops look like they did a few years back, with a few design changes. For most part, they still bear the same metallic gun-metal colors on the lid, only that they keep getting lighter each day. If you’re buying a laptop for gaming and productivity, the Eluktronics design might easily work for you. That’s the same understated design you’re getting on the flagship Eluktronics Mech-15 G2 released in 2019.
Display
A laptop can be great, but the display technology used is mostly a make or break. We have reviewed machine being sold as 4K gaming laptops, but they never meet that threshold in real-world use. It’s not easy to crack a 4K display in a sub-$1500 laptop. Such claims can be misleading – unless it’s a refurbished system.
Eluktronics offers Full HD (1920 x 1080P) resolution on most of its gaming laptops, with anti-glare on systems like the Eluktronics N870HP6 Pro-X and IPS screen technology. In some cases, you have the optional configurations that allows you choose between displays. If you 4K resolution is a must have, Eluktronics may not readily offer that feature in its gaming laptops lineup; the 17-inch MSI GT75 Titan 4K-247 is a recommendable choice.
In fact, screen bezels have been reducing in the company’s latest models over their predecessors. The Eluktronics MECH-15 G2R Slim now has slim bezels on the top and sides, but the bottom bezel remains unchanged, especially when compared with latest models in the same price range.
That said, it will take a few years before Eluktronics finally delivers the NanoEdge displays on the Asus ZenBook 14 UX431FA-ES74 or even the InfinityEdge display technology on Dell’s XPS laptops, including theDell XPS9570-5632SLV-PUS. Those screens look damn sharp, and bezel free.
Refresh rate
For modern AAA games, the screen’s refresh rate does come to play. The company has kept pace with the latest trends in the gaming market, moving from 60Hz to 144Hz, like the have one the latest Eluktronics Mech 15-G2, making for butter-smooth frame rates and spirited gameplay. Except for a few units, most of Eluktronics’ laptops max out at 120Hz, which is still decent.
Inputs (Keyboard and Trackpad)
In this Eluktronics review, we are seeing a move from bland keyboards to comfortable, mechanical keyboards. That’s how it is supposed to be especially when you’re churning between $1000 to $2000 for a gaming laptop. Eluktronics is among the trendsetters, now offering a mechanical, per-key RGB backlit keyboard, shelving the chiclet style keyboard for budget notebooks.
Both the Eluktronics Mech 15-G2 and Eluktronics P650HP6 offer a mechanical keyboard, only that the former comes with a mechanical keyboard with individual lighting and keys are removable. It offers a responsive touchpad, and includes even a 10-key Numpad in case you need to use it for productivity while not gaming. The keyboards are backlight across the range, thus, can be used in a dark room. We are yet to see a glass touchpad on an Eluktronics gaming laptop, maybe one will drop before the year ends.
Processors, RAM and Storage
Companies like to compete with other brands in the technology they use. Eluktronics is the same in this respect and its models often include new brands that most entry-level brands don’t. Eluktronics started by producing gaming laptops and they still have great expertise in this regard. Being an OEM, the company easily puts together machines with the latest processors at different prices.
Right now, the company offers the Eluktronics MECH-15 G2Rx with the latest 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD, but you have the choice of the Eluktronics MECH-15 G2R with an Intel Core i7-8750H processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD storage.
Overall, you have pretty everything in between, spanning the 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor (Eluktronics N870HP6 Pro-X) to the newer 9th Generation Intel H chips (Eluktronics MECH-17 G1Rx). As for RAM and storage, everything is configurable from 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD or 1TB HDD to a maximum of 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD or 2TB HDD, but we’ve seen other offer a maximum of 32GB, 1TB SSD and 2TB HDD storage.
Graphics
Since 208, Nvidia and AMD have been trying to outdo one another with discrete graphic cards meant for the top gamers. We haven’t reviewed an Eluktronics system using AMD’s GPU, meaning most of the systems are powered by Nvidia graphics cards. In the Eluktronics line, the popular discrete graphics cards are Nvidia GTX 1060, 1070 and 1080.
In 2019, the company is offering laptops with the newer Nvidia GeForce RTX 20-Series, but it does so at a very reasonable price. Apparently, we haven’t seen the low-end Nvidia GTX 1650, 1650 and 1660 Ti in Eluktronics’ lineup. Instead, its newer laptops are equipped with RTX 2060 and RTX 2070, we’re sure the company will drop gaming powerhouses featuring the high-end RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti before the year ends.
Product Variety
Eluktronics offers a limited choice of laptops. The company only focuses on gaming laptop, of which they offer excellent units. They don’t offer anything for students looking to finish college essays or business executives looking for something for presentations. For professional creatives and artists, the power packed gaming laptops are a perfect shoo-in as well.
Eluktronics stay ahead in the world of gaming shelling out new models regularly, making them a brand to watch.
Price
Eluktronics seem to price their gaming laptops fairly. If it gets expensive, be assured it’s worth the dollars. When you look at the list of specifications compared to other OEM brands, it is easy to see why gamers opt for pre-built systems.
For example, the Razer Blade 15 starts for slightly more, but the Eluktronics MECH-15 G2Rx offers the same hardware for almost $1000 less. The only advantage of the Razer Blade 15 and its ilk is that they can be used for gaming, for college and at work.
Battery Life
Gaming laptops are not very strong when it comes to battery life. Eluktronics are not exceptional, most of their laptops max at 4 hours, which is quite OK for the category. The only other gaming laptops with excellent battery life cost almost $2500 and above, which doesn’t present an incremental marginal value.
Where they stand out
Eluktronics stands out in price and configurations. They offer machines which will suit all budgets and all their machines include a great design.
The pricing of the machines reflects the components and the quality no matter how much you’re spend, you’re guaranteed that your laptop will look more expensive than it was.
The Warranties they offer are up to one year, but you can pay more and extend the period, including extending the battery one.
Where they don’t stand out
Design. While others are including innovative, more trim designs, Eluktronics hasn’t done much in terms of redesigning its laptops. Instead, they are focusing on the power that goes into the systems. A good approach, but we’d like to see Zephyrus or Blade-like Eluktronics laptop. Soon.
Eluktronics Laptops We Have Reviewed
Eluktronics MECH-15 G2 Review
The Eluktronics MECH-15 G2 is an appealing priced 15-inch gaming laptops that sports a premium build and a feature set that’s reminiscent of a high-end machine with a few sacrifices. For instance, its frame rates won’t reach the echelon of the pricey ASUS ROG Zephyrus S XS74, but our review unit still manages greater-than-60fps gaming in most AAA titles.
If you’re on a good budget, pricier configs are available with GeForce RTX 20-Series GPUs, maxed at RTX 2070 and Core i7-9750H. In the Eluktronics MECH-15 Series, all models are portable enough to be your daily driver, and they offer longer battery life than most laptops in this category. We have no major complaints, so the G2RX can power its way our Top Picks for midrange gaming laptops.
PROS
- Sharp design
- High-quality, portable build
- Better-than-60fps gaming
- Per-key backlighting
- 144Hz display
CONS
- 512GB SSD is a little tight
- Nvidia G-Sync not supported
Eluktronics N850HP6 Pro-X Review
Most definitely the gaming laptop of your dreams, the Eluktronics N850HP6 Pro-X does have enough firepower to handle most demanding AAA games in the market, and because it is a desktop replacement laptop, it has the expansion ability as you’d want. It also has its share of glaring deficiencies, the biggest being the cramped keyboard, which we think is bad enough for everyday tasks let alone gaming. The only reprieve is to get an external gaming keyboard and mouse –they never cost much, though.
However, to be fair here: in most cases, you tend to get what you pay for. With a sub-$1500 price tag, the Pro-X delivers more than you’re paying for, and we can’t ask for a lot especially when this system comes with an impressive set of components. If you’re a hardcore gamer with hardcore demands, simply look elsewhere. But if you’re on a budget and just getting into PC gaming, and willing to overlook a few things, the Eluktronics N850HP6 Pro-X is an option worth considering.
PROS
- Decent gaming performance for price
- Rocks Full HD gaming
CONS
- Middling keyboard
- Too much travel on trackpad
Eluktronics N850HJ Pro Review
Eluktronics may not be an attention-grabbing gaming laptop brand, but they have always taken-on the ‘big boys’ like the Acer Predator Series and the ASUS ROG Series with affordable, yet formidable gaming laptops in the market. Case on point: the Eluktronics N850HJ Pro , a reasonably priced premium gaming laptop that combines the top-notch design as its 15-inch siblings with cutting-edge components, a full HD screen, and plenty of extras than most rivals.
With the latest Nvidia GTX 1050 graphics card and plenty of processing power, the Eluctro Pro is among the top performers among single-card laptops.
It offers generous configuration options that allow you to build a machine that fits your needs. While it isn’t the most travel-friendly laptop around, it does exude enough raw power that will keep you excited. Still, the Acer Predator Helios 300 remains our Editors’ Choice entry-level gaming laptop for its features and equally unmatched raw power.
PROS
- Top-notch customization options
- Solid gaming performance
- Aptitude array of ports
CONS
- Middling battery life
- No optical drive
Eluktronics N870HK1 Pro-X Review
The Eluktronics N870HK1 Pro-X is one of those laptops that are meant to permanently reside on your desk, but can occasionally be carried on short travels, maybe to a friend’s house and back. It is a premium gaming laptop that pack enough raw power to play modern AAA games without stuttering, at high settings. For a 17-incher, offers enough real estate for an assortment of ports and some room to grow into something bigger though upgrades, and the full HD screen sweetens the pot.
It offers generous configuration options that allow you to build a machine that fits your needs, including a seventh generation Intel Core i7 processor, a Pascal GTX 1050 Ti graphics card and 16GB system memory plus 256GB SSD storage. While it isn’t the most travel-friendly laptop around, it does exude gaming muscle that will keep you excited. Still, the Acer Predator Helios 300 remains our Editors’ Choice entry-level gaming laptop for its features and equally unmatched gaming power.
PROS
- Top-notch customization options
- Solid gaming performance
- Aptitude array of ports
CONS
- Would do with more memory and RAM
- Middling battery life
Eluktronics N850HK1 Pro Review
Ultimately, I can recommend the Eluktronics N850HK1 Pro Premium Gaming laptop based on price, solid components and build quality. It does deliver on expectations with some premium extras, but you have an option to configure it with more storage and RAM which sweeten the pot.
Alternatively, you can order a configuration that meets your needs and budget, but the system as is, offers nearly unmatched performance with nearly future-proof components, while costing a few hundred dollars less than top competitors. That said, our Editors’ Choice the Acer Predator Helios 300 offers a generous feature set, offers more memory and solid performance, it’s tough to beat thus value.
PROS
- Top-notch customization options
- Solid gaming performance
- Aptitude array of ports
CONS
- Competitors offer better specs
- Short Battery Life
Overall, Eluktronics laptops do offer some value for the amount you’re paying. While they are not as stylish as their main competitors from Asus, MSI, Acer or HP, they do compensate with low prices for strong features and durable hardware. For gamers, the power-packed laptops are a sure starting point, especially when shopping on a budget. For a solid feature set, reasonable pricing and strong performance, they are an easy choice for us to recommend.
Our Pick
