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Of course, the EON15-X is a monster when it comes to processing power. If it were anything less for this price, you’d be right to be straight-up angry. With a desktop Core i7 processor and the latest and most powerful mobile Nvidia graphics, this laptop will chew through anything you throw at it.
Here’s how the Origin EON15-X performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark Sky Diver: 42,564; Fire Strike: 17,759; Time Spy: 7,099
Geekbench 4: 5,996 (single-core); 27,058 (multi-core)
Cinebench CPU: 1,386 points; Graphics: 164 fps
PCMark 8 Home: 5,145
PCMark 8 Battery Life: 2 hours and 4 minutes
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 2 hours and 52 minutes
Total War: Warhammer II (1080p, Ultra): 79 fps; (1080p, Low): 170 fps
ME: Shadow of War (1080p, Ultra): 98 fps; (1080p, Low): 176 fps
As you may be able to tell from its benchmark results, this laptop would make about as good of a workstation as it does a gaming machine, though you may want Quadro graphics for certain applications. At any rate, know that this laptop will deliver beyond 60 frames per second (fps) frame rates at Ultra settings in most – if not all – of the latest PC games at 1080p.
However, for what it’s worth, the EON15-X didn’t perform that much better than rival gaming laptops which feature the same graphics hardware, yet cost a lot less. For instance, this laptop’s Middle-Earth: Shadow of War numbers at Ultra settings are nearly identical to those of the Alienware 17 R5.
Likewise, the single-core performance of the Intel processor in this laptop is only marginally better than that of the Alienware in the Geekbench 4 test. Given how long it’s still taking for more apps and games to take full advantage of multi-core processors, this is worth mulling over.
Keep in mind that these results were achieved with the EON15-X’s graphics chip being overclocked before shipping, just like the Alienware.
One advantage this laptop has over many others is that, due to its sheer size, it manages heat incredibly well, with it barely getting hot to the touch while under load. Naturally, that level of superior heat management is mostly thanks to two awfully strong – and awfully loud – cooling fans. At least the amazing speakers can drown out the din of fan blades spinning.
At any rate, one thing you won’t have to worry about with this laptop for at least a few years is its performance. Just know that there are more affordable options out there that come dangerously close to this level of power while arriving in far more attractive and portable packages.
Battery life
If you’ve come to this gaming laptop review expecting good news on the battery life front, what were you thinking? Just look at this thing – keeping those overclocked components cool and running at peak capacity obviously requires a lot of power.
Honestly, we’re mildly impressed the EON15-X even lasted as long as it did in our tests. Gaming, or other more intense tasks, would surely drive those numbers down. Again, do not buy this laptop expecting longevity or portability.
However, it’s growing increasingly common to see laptops with similar power levels pushing six hours or more of battery life. It won’t be long before the “hey, it’s a gaming laptop” defense no longer holds up.
Software and features
Origin is fantastic about resisting the temptation to overload its systems with bloatware. So, you just get very basic overclocking software to manage the optional factory overclocks done before shipping, and an app to manage the keyboard and other RGB backlighting elements.
Beyond that, Origin includes DataColor software for managing your display settings, which it likely used to calibrate your screen in the first place. Plus, for extra peace of mind, each Origin laptop comes with a fresh image of the operating system as it was before it even went into a box, just in case you royally screw things up and need to start from scratch.
You don’t see many computing corporations paying that much attention to detail.
Final verdict
It’s rather difficult to peg the Origin EON15-X, considering both its position among other desktop replacement gaming laptops and comparably powerful gaming laptops that are much thinner and lighter (and longer lasting). Frankly, if you’re looking to this device to be your desktop replacement, you may as well spring for a 17.3-inch model – either Origin’s own offering or something like the Alienware 17 R5.
Conversely, there’s now a glut of 15.6-inch gaming laptops that are thinner, lighter and just about as powerful, and which come with far more premium shells, for hundreds less.
So, sadly, we find it difficult to heartily recommend the EON15-X. Not on account of any failing on its part – it’s actually a fine laptop in almost every regard. It’s just unfortunate for it that the 15-inch gaming laptop scene has massively leveled up since we reviewed the previous model, to the point where even a fantastic 15-inch desktop replacement is a questionable purchase.
