Product Listing

Aftershock XG13 - The VFM Gaming Notebook Choice

By Kenny Yeo - 20 Aug 2013

Performance Benchmarking (I) - PCMark 7 & PCMark 8

Test Setup

To test the Aftershock XG13, we will be putting it through our usual benchmarks. You will find the full list below. As for comparison, the XG13 will be compared mainly against the Razer Blade and MSI GE40 - its closest rivals in the new category of ultra-portable gaming notebooks. We have also included results from other gaming notebooks that we have tested recently, namely the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500, Alienware M17X R4 and MSI GT70 0NE and the old 17-inch Razer Blade from last year.

This is the full list of benchmarks used:

  • PCMark 7
  • PCMark 8
  • 3DMark 11
  • 3DMark 2013
  • Far Cry 2
  • Crysis 2

Here is how the Aftershock XG13 stacks up against its closest rivals.

Test Notebooks Compared
  Aftershock XG13 Razer Blade 14-inch (2013) MSI GE40 2OC Dragon Eyes
  Aftershock XG13 Razer Blade 14-inch (2013) MSI GE40 2OC Dragon Eyes
Processor and Chipset
  • Intel Core i7-4700MQ 2.4GHz
  • Intel HM87 chipset
  • Intel Core i7-4702HQ Quad-core Processor with Hyper Threading (2.2GHz base / 3.2GHz turbo)
  • Mobile Intel PCHM 8 series chipset, HM87
  • Intel Core i7-4702MQ 2.2GHz
  • Intel HM87
Operating System
  • Windows 8
  • Windows 8 (64-bit)
  • Windows 8
System Memory
  • 8GB DDR3L (Up to 16GB)
  • 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz
  • 8GB DDR3
Video & Display
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M 2GB GDDR5
  • 13.3-inch Full-HD IPS display
  • 14-inch
  • Native Resolution: 1600 x 900
  • Integrated Intel HD4600 Graphics / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (2GB GDDR5 VRAM, Optimus Technology)
  • 14-inch, 1600 x 900 display
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M 2GB GDDR5
Storage
  • 256GB SSD
  • 128GB / 256GB / 512GB SATA III SSD
  • 128GB SSD + 750GB HDD (Super RAID)
Optical Drive
  • None
Connectivity
  • Bluetooth
  • Wireless 802.11 b/g/n
  • Killer Wireless-N 1202 (802.11a/b/g/n + Bluetooth v4.0)
  • Wireless 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
Audio
  • Built-in Onkyo speakers (2 x 2W)
  • 1 x headphones jack
  • 1 x microphones jack
  • Dolby Home Theater v4
  • Stereo speakers (Sound Blaster Cinema)
I/O Ports
  • 3 x USB 3.0 ports
  • 1 x USB 2.0 port
  • 9-in-1 memory card reader
  • 1 x Ethernet jack
  • 1 x HDMI output
  • 1 x VGA output
  • 3 x USB 3.0 ports, Array microphone, 3.5mm microphone/headphone combo port, HDMI 1.4a audio and video output
  • 2 x USB 3.0 ports
  • 1 x USB 2.0 port
  • 1 x Ethernet
  • 1 x HDMI
  • 1 x VGA
  • 1 x SD card reader
Battery Type
  • 6 cells, 62.16Wh
  • Built-in 70Wh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
  • 6-cell Lithium ion
Dimensions
  • 330 x 227 x 31.9mm
  • 345 x 235 x 16.8mm
  • 339 x 239.4 x 22 mm
Weight
  • 2kg
  • 1.88kg
  • 1.9kg
Miscellaneous
  • Built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam
  • Razer Synapse 2.0 Enabled
  • Backlit anti-ghosting keyboard
  • 7.1 Codec support (via HDMI)

PCMark 8

PCMark 8 is the latest benchmarking utility from Futuremark and was designed to measure the performance of Windows 8 systems. We will be testing the system using four different scenarios, Home, Creative, Work and Storage, which simulates different workloads that a user might subject the system to.

The Aftershock XG13 held slight leads on the “Home”, “Creative” and “Storage” workloads, while losing out slightly on “Work”. On the “Adobe” and “MS Office” work loads which involved real-world computing tasks with Microsoft Office 2010 and Adobe CS6 applications, the XG13 had a significant 15% advantage over its rivals. Its superior showing in this benchmark can be alluded to its more powerful processor and very fast Samsung SSD.

PCMark 7

Thanks to Aftershock XG13’s slightly more powerful processor and very fast SSD, it managed to lead on most of the workloads, losing out only very slightly on the “Entertainment” and “Computation” work scenarios. Its overall score is also the highest we have recorded thus far, easily seeing off its rivals and significantly better than last generation's gaming notebooks.

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8.5
  • Design 7.5
  • Features 9
  • Performance 9
  • Value 8.5
  • Mobility 7.5
The Good
Good performance
Superb screen
Excellent keyboard and accurate trackpad
Lots of customizable options
The Bad
Drab looks, lots of plastic
Mediocre battery life
Thicker than direct rivals
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