Aftershock Titan V2.1 review: With great power, comes great size
Aftershock's back with their latest refresh of the their Titan notebook. We find out if the new Titan with dual GeForce GTX 980M GPUs and its menacing performance is enough to stand up to other gaming notebooks recently released.
Overview
It seems like it's been long since we reviewed the original Aftershock Titan (with dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M GPUs) and although we also reviewed last year's Titan refresh, we figured it was about time to take a new look at the latest update to the Titan series from Aftershock.
While we've thus far seen quite a number of notebooks from various companies with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 900M series of graphics chips, only one other company has them in SLI in their notebook, the Aorus X7 Pro. Although it uses the 'weaker' of the two of the latest NVIDIA mobile GPUs, (GeForce GTX 970M), putting two of them together in SLI created a nigh unstoppable gaming notebook. That bar has been raised with the new Aftershock Titan V2.1 with its dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M GPUs. We've provided a handy table below, so you can look over the specs for the various Titan refreshes over the years.
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From the table, we can see that besides the internal hardware upgrades, the Titan series has pretty much kept the basic formula intact - keeping the same proven chassis and cram it with high-end components that matter most for gaming. Let's take a closer look at the Titan V2.1:-
The Hardware
The Aftershock Titan V2.1 is a 17.3-inch gaming notebook with a Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution) matte-finish display. As we mentioned earlier, it also has dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M GPUs powering its visual capabilities, with general processing duties being handled by the familiar Intel Core i7-4710MQ at 2.5GHz (3.5GHz maximum). There's also 16GB of DDR3L RAM. The Aftershock Titan V2.1's storage capabilities are handled by a 120GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. On the connectivity side, the Aftershock Titan V2.1 has the Intel 7260, which supports Wireless 802.11ac as standards well as Bluetooth 4.0. There are also the usual plethora of ports scattered all over, just like its older brother, the Aftershock Titan (2013):-
The left side of the notebook has the Ethernet connection, various audio ports as well as the memory card slot. What's weird is that the left side is completely devoid of any USB port.
The right side plays host to the optical drive, the Thunderbolt port, as well as USB 3.0 ports and the hybrid eSATA/ USB 2.0 port.
The back has accented vents, two more USB 3.0 ports, as well as HDMI and DC input.
Features & Design
Power comes at a price. In the case of the Aftershock Titan V2.1, that price is size. The Aftershock Titan V2.1 is probably the biggest notebook we've reviewed this year (the previous Aftershock Titan review was done in 2013), topping even the massive MSI GT72 2QE Dominator Pro. Honestly speaking, the Aftershock Titan V2.1's gigantic size makes the sizable MSI GT72 2QE Dominator Pro look like a ultraportable. It's that big.
What it loses in portability, the Aftershock Titan V2.1 more than makes up for it in stability. It's hefty base means that there's no give at all, even during heated gaming sessions with the keyboard, although the same can't be said about the display. Unlike the base, the screen is a bit unstable. Slight impacts tend to make it wobble, and it's a major distraction if you're gaming or doing work on it and accidentally brush against the screen. The GT72 2QE Dominator Pro have and most other notebooks have similar issues but the Aftershock's display exhibited a little more disturbance than expected, especially when you take into account the thick notebook lid housing the display, which should have increased its stability (but it doesn't).
Like most notebooks, the Aftershock Titan V2.1 comes with a chiclet keyboard, though the one on the Aftershock Titan V2.1 is made to resistant smudges (unlike the ones on the Aorus X7 Pro or the Gigabyte P35X V3). We also found that the keys themselves can be depressed a tad deeper, likely due to the thicker base of the Aftershock Titan machine, making the keyboard overall more satisfying to use. Interestingly, the keyboard's has customizable backlight colors, just like the one on the MSI GT72 2QE Dominator Pro. Aftershock's easy to use application allows you to effortlessly assign colors for the keyboard backlights and the trackpad, which you can then instantly preview them on the keyboard itself.
The backlights can barely be seen in normal light but once it's dark, the keyboard's brighter than the North Pole on Christmas.
The clickpad has been replaced with a conventional trackpad this time. You can either tap on it to register mouse clicks, or if you prefer, you can use the grilled part of the chassis as physical mouse buttons.
Most of the indicators are on the lower right side of the base. There's the Airplane Mode and trackpad on/off indicators, a battery status indicator and a final one that shows whether the electrical adapter is plugged in and charging. However, you'll have to pay careful attention as the indicators are rather small.
That's all there is to look at on the Aftershock Titan V2.1. Next up, we have a battery of results from the benchmarks we ran on the machine.
Testing Setup
As usual, we'll be running the Aftershock Titan V2.1 through our normal battery of tests. We'll be using PC Mark 8 for the general hardware benchmarks and 3D Mark 2013 for the GPU related ones. We'll also be testing the Aftershock Titan V2.1 using Tomb Raider and Middle-Earth Shadow of Mordor. As we've started to see more and more notebooks appear with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 900M series, we've decided to replace the aging Crysis 2 with a more modern contemporary, in this case, we've decided to use Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor.
So the short version is, we'll be testing the hardware using the software listed below:
- PC Mark 8
- 3D Mark 2013
- Tomb Raider
- Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
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PC Mark 8
In case you're not familiar, PC Mark 8 is more of a general all-round benchmark to determine performance in everyday user tasks. It measures all aspects of a computing platform, from its CPU and storage as well as everything in between. As such, most gaming quality notebooks' scores won't vary too much from each other here and that's pretty much the case with the notebooks we've benchmarked. However during this particular test run we noticed anomalies between the scores of the Aftershock Titan and the Gigabyte P35X V3. Despite the Gigabyte P35X V3 and the Aftershock Titan V2.1 both using the same Intel Core i7-4710 series processors, there's a marked improvement in the Aftershock Titan V2.1. Granted the Aftershock Ttian V2.1 is using the MQ version while the Gigabyte P35X V3 uses the HQ, but apart from the MQ being easier to remove from its socket, there's not much difference. We tested the Aftershock Titan V2.1 on the each of the suites multiple times to make sure the scores weren't anomalies, but each benchmark had scores that fell within the same range as the original.
3D Mark 2013
3D Mark's the premier gaming benchmark and as expected, the scores here are more varied. While Cloud Gate performance was pretty close, this test isn't designed for high-end notebooks. Instead , we focus on the Fire Strike test which gives a more accurate showing of high-end hardware. Both the non-SLI machines (the Gigabyte P35X V3 and the MSI GT72 2QE Dominator Pro) had vastly inferior scores when compared to the Aorus X7 Pro and the Aftershock Titan V2.1. The dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M GPUs in the Aftershock Titan V2.1 clearly pulled their weight here, surpassing the dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M graphics cores in the Aorus X7 Pro by a considerable margin of 20%!
Tomb Raider
We've previously seen how Tomb Raider performed with Aorus, Gigabyte and MSI machines in the Third Strike article, so the results weren't surprising in the least regarding them. Instead, the more interesting thing to note in the scores is that despite the Aftershock Titan V2.1 having two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M GPUs in it, the FPS increase wasn't as dramatic as you'd expect, especially when compared to the also GTX 970M in SLI on the Aorus X7 Pro. While normally an increase of around 30 FPS would be a big deal, when you're already dealing with FPS figures in the hundreds, that extra 30 FPS or so is just a drop in the bucket. You simply won't notice the increase in the frame rate the two machines are rendering at - well, not for a single screen performance at least. If you plan to set up a desktop replacement class setup with triple screen outputs and all for surround gaming, that's when you'll see all the extra performance put to good use.
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
It's in Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor where the extra horsepower from the dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980Ms contained in the Aftershock Titan V2.1 shines through. As Shadow of Mordor is a relatively new title, it's better optimized to use the improved hardware in NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 900M series of cards and the chart proves it. The Aftershock Titan V2.1 is the only machine we've tested that can break the 150 FPS barrier when running on High settings. Even more impressive, it's also the only machine that can achieve a triple digit frame rate on Ultra setting, which is no small feat considering how hefty the requirements to run on that setting are. While the increase in FPS in Tomb Raider was mostly redundant (due to the already high FPS both the Aorus X7 Pro and the Aftershock Titan V2.1 had), that's not the case here. Despite a smaller gap in FPS on the Ultra setting between the two machines, there is a significant detectable visual difference between 87 FPS and 109 FPS. As such, despite the numbers being smaller, the perceived difference is actually greater.
Temperature
We were most surprised by the Aftershock Titan V2.1 here. Despite enduring the same tests we ran on the other systems (we let the benchmark of Tomb Raider loop over and over), it still kept a relatively lower temperature profile than the other notebooks. We even tested it running on Assassin's Creed Unity on Max settings (with the latest patch), taking a jog around Paris just to see if it'll heat up the hardware. No such luck. GPU-Z still clocked it as having a temperature lower than all the other machines tested. Still, physical temperature measurements at the points stated yielded a mixed bag of results for the Aftershock Titan V2.1. While some parts of its chassis were cooler compared to the other machines, the reverse was true too. In general, we can conclude that the larger chassis of the Aftershock Titan also helped it keep its cool somewhat as the delta in temperature across various areas of the notebook was kept to a minimum.
Read on for the next part of the benchmarks, where we relay battery life test results and more and argue about its portability (or the lack of it).
Battery Life and Power Consumption
Again there's nothing surprising regarding the charts for the Power Consumption and the Battery Life. We know that SLI machines are energy hogs so we didn't really expect much from the battery of the Aftershock Titan V2.1. While it still surprised us by outlasting the Aorus X7 Pro with its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M chips (its TDP is 145 watts each versus 165 watts each for the 980M), the rest of the charts are pretty much in line with what's expected. We see that of all the machines, the Aftershock Titan V2.1 uses an immense amount of energy but its larger battery capacity offsets that somewhat and provides it with a longer life when compared to the Aorus X7 Pro, despite the latter requiring less power to run.
Portability Index
Consequently, we see on the Portability chart that the Aftershock Titan V2.1 isn't really all that portable, with its massive size and huge bulk. It barely edges out the MSI GT72 2QE Dominator Pro but then again, that's really no consolation when you consider the point differential. As expected, the 15-inch notebook that is the Gigabyte P35X V3 trounces everything else in the category. But in the other machines' defense, it isn't really fair comparing a 15-inch notebook with the others (which are 17-inch notebooks). This just goes to show that if you can make do with a slightly smaller screen, the Gigabyte P35X V3 has a good offering. However, if 17-inch class gaming notebooks are your choice, the Aorus X7 Pro aces its competition.
The new benchmark for performance?
As soon as we saw the specs for the Aftershock Titan V2.1, we knew that unless Aftershock really messed up somewhere along the line, the Aftershock Titan V2.1 would be a monster of a gaming machine. Now, after testing it with our benchmarks, we can definitively say that it currently is the monster to beat. The notebook is overwhelming powerful with its dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M GPUs. One such GPU already packs quite a bit of horsepower, as can be seen in the benchmarks for the MSI GT72 2QE Dominator Pro. But put two of them in the same machine and you're pretty much guaranteed to be in gaming heaven for the next few years.
Given the raw specs and performance, one would be wondering how Aftershock can release the Aftershock Titan V2.1 for just $4,208 (our review unit's specs, which is the recommended configuration). Meanwhile, the MSI GT72 2QE Dominator Pro's base cost is S$4,299! While the MSI notebook doesn't give you a secondary graphics card, it has quite bit of other features to enhance the usability of the machine to make up for the cost. Some of the notable qualities are its faster processor, dual SSDs in RAID mode, upgradeable MXM graphics module, Blu-ray writer, wired and wireless Killer network connectivity, a spacious SteelSeries designed keyboard, Dyneaudio speakers with Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2 audio hardware and software suite, six USB 3.0 ports and enough video outputs to run surround gaming. Do the math and you'll see where all the extra cost and bulk go into for the MSI GT72 notebook.
Does that mean the Aftershock Titan V2.1 is actually a rather plain machine? Apart from its high-end dual GPUs, unfortunately, the Aftershock machine is rather straightforward. It's not a bad thing, but there's nothing interesting, unique nor revolutionary about it. If you just need the most affordable powerful machine, the Aftershock Titan V2.1 will fit the bill to a tee.
This is the price of power. A gigantic notebook that's almost as thick as phone books.
Given the notebook's massive graphics firepower, we're actually disappointed that its display is just a standard Full HD screen. We wished Aftershock offered an option for a higher resolution screen but alas, that's not to be. The 1080p screen is the only display option available for the Aftershock Titan V2.1, which is a real shame. Sure, you can output the visuals to a bigger display (which would probably be the choice for most) but the fact is that there's no option for outfitting the Aftershock Titan V2.1 with a better display. You're forced to get a higher resolution monitor or use the built-in one. Speaking of display outputs, the primary options are the single HDMI and single DisplayPort connections. While the notebook has a Thunderbolt port to rely upon as well, there are very few such displays in the market and this leave the Aftershock Titan V2.1 without an option to have a surround gaming setup if you consider those two primary outputs. Quite a shame given all it's graphics crunching power.
External storage and peripheral connectivity are aided by having the Thunderbolt option, but again, drives that use them and (provide effective performance improvement) are few and far between. So having Thunderbolt is an added feature, but not one that's of immediate use to most. Moving on to USB matters, take note that there's no USB ports on the left side of the machine. It's a very rare thing to have one side of a notebook completely devoid of the ubiquitous port. We really don't like having USB ports only on the right and the back of the machine (which is even more inaccessible). Considering that most of us are right-handed, having a USB device attached in the right port (maybe a thumb drive or some other wired device) on the right side can only lead to accidental collisions with the mouse. Since this is a gaming laptop, do you really want to be interrupted in the midst of gaming just because you bumped into your thumb drive?
We're not quite done yet and have a few other minor quibbles to relate. For starters, audio output of the machine is acceptable for a notebook, but if you're going to be playing or watching movies on the notebook, you owe it to yourself to get a decent pair of headphones as soon as you can. The other is replacement of its clickpad (from the older Titan models) with a trackpad that has no demarcation or differentiation of where the trackpad buttons are present. There's also no divider to let you know you've crossed over on the right or left side of the buttons.
Fortunately, there are some positive points going for the the Aftershock Titan V2.1, both externally and internally. Build-wise, while it's mostly a plastic chassis, the choice of finish is great. The matte material finish is highly resistant to getting dirty, even smudges from fingers have a hard time finding purchase. Even if they do mess up the look of the chassis, cleaning it off is effortless. We certainly hope that more of their notebooks down the line use the same finish.
Large vents on either side of the chassis lets the warm air flow out easily.
We don't know what deal Aftershock's made with the devil but the the Aftershock Titan V2.1 is relatively quiet (compared to its contemporaries) even when the fans are running at full blast. It's not whisper silent, but compared to some notebooks that sound as if there's a hairdryer running full tilt in the chassis, the Aftershock's noise level is surprisingly bearable. Even more amazing is that it remains that way even with two graphics cards needing to be cooled. Temperature performance was positive too as it was generally running cooler than most others of its class. We think the bigger build helped it harbor a better cooling solution.
Another aspect that we like (which is becoming a rarity strangely) is that the battery of the Aftershock Titan V2.1 is not integrated. That means that if for any reason the battery fails, swapping it out for a fresh pack is as simple as sliding aside a few tabs, removing the old battery and slotting the new one in. It takes seconds and might save you weeks in wasted time otherwise as you send your machine in to have a battery replaced, which could potentially happen in the case of closest thing the Aftershock TItan V2.1 has for a rival (in size, if not in power), the MSI GT72 2QE Dominator Pro.
With removable batteries, you can bring along a spare or two if you need the Aftershock Titan V2.1 to operate without an electrical outlet.
Size does have its advantages. In this case, it's stability.
The ungainly size of the Aftershock Titan V2.1 may be scary, but the size also bring with it benefits that we feel might be worth the trade off in portability. Owning to its thicker base, the Aftershock Titan V2.1's keyboard affords more key travel, allowing the keys to sink in deeper. This certainly makes the notebook's keyboard feel more comfortable, akin to a regular PC keyboard. The backlight color customization option is also a welcome addition. The bad thing is that under normal lighting conditions, the colors are weak. You can barely make out unless you look between the cracks of the keyboard's keys.
What it all boils down to in the end is function. At the end of the day, what would you rather have? A dainty machine that can barely run today's games or a hulking behemoth that can take anything you throw at it while asking for seconds? If your answer's the second one, the Aftershock Titan V2.1's made for you, especially at the price the recommended version of the Aftershock Titan V2.1 is retailing for.
If not, you might want to consider reading our slim gaming notebooks review, featuring the Aorus X7 Pro and the Gigabyte P35X V3. You might find them more to your liking. The MSI GT72 2QE Dominator is also an option if you would much rather enjoy more creature comforts to enhance your gaming experience as well as for other purposes beyond just gaming. Not to mention, its visual appeal is better too.
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