The One K73-4N got an overall rating of 83 % in our review 10 months ago and now we have a closer look at the successor One K73-5N, which is equipped with a desktop processor. There are many rivals in the segment of 17-inch gaming notebooks, including the MSI GT72 2QE, for example, that uses a GeForce GTX 980M as well. Or the Asus G751JY, which is currently in first place of the gaming charts thanks to its IPS panel. Both notebooks got a "very good" rating in our review. Our article will show why the One K73-5N does not get the desired rating.
But back to the topic: Similar to its siblings, you can configure the 17-inch notebook according to your preferences. This starts with the processor that is provided by Intel. Because of the number of cores we would not recommend the standard chip Core i3-4160. More ambitious users should equip the K73-5N with a Core i5 or Core i7 (TDP of 45-88 Watts). Our review unit uses the most powerful product, the Core i7-4790K that runs with 4.0-4.4 GHz under load.
The situation is similar for the graphics cards: Instead of a GeForce GTX 965M (4 GB GDDR-VRAM), you can choose a GTX 970M with 6 GB or a GTX 980M with 8 GB. All that is supported by up to 32 GB DDR3 memory and up to four storage solutions (2x M.2 & 2x 2.5-inch). You can also change the wireless module, the warranty and the operating system. The standard version of the One K73-5N retails for just 1,199 Euros, but you can easily surpass 2,000 Euros with better hardware equipment, which applies for our review configuration as well.
Soft-touch finish
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The One K73-5N is based on the P771ZM barebone from the gaming expert Clevo and there is also a 15-inch version (One K56-5N) with the designation P751ZM. Compared to the predecessor K73-4N, the new case is slightly thinner: Instead of 4.5 centimeters it is "just" 3.9 centimeters high. The previously mentioned rivals from MSI and Asus are 4.8-5.3 centimeters thick. You should consider the MSI GS70 (2.2 centimeters) or the P670SA barebone (3.0 centimeters @Schenker XMG P705) if you prefer thin notebooks.
The design of the 17-inch notebook is decent, but you should not expect a stylish device. The matte plastic surfaces are rubberized on the lid and the palm rest, which might not be appealing for every user. The soft feeling for the skin also comes with a high susceptibility to dirt (with greasy fingers in particular). Metal constructions like the MSI GS70 look more sophisticated and more expensive in general.
The choice of materials does not have such a big effect on the stability and the base unit of the One K73-5N has no problems with a lot of force. Only the display cover is pretty wobbly and can be twisted quite a bit with two hands. Still, the lid is not as fragile as the 15-inch sibling (compare the review of the Schenker XMG U505), so the chassis rating is a bit higher.
Ports
The ports are completely identical to the P751ZM: The barebone experts from Clevo integrated five USB 3.0 ports, four audio ports and three digital video ports, which means you can attach a surround sound system as well as a multi-display setup. The package is rounded off with a card reader, eSATA port and a slot for a Kensington Lock. Clevo also thought about the security aspect: Thefingerprint reader is complemented by a TPM 2.0 chip.
Great: The majority of ports is located at the rear area of the notebook, so there should be no problems when you use an external mouse. All in all, the connectivity just misses the "very good" rating. The predecessor chassis P170SM-A had one USB port less, but it offered a FireWire port as well as an optical drive in return. The connectivity is pretty similar to the MSI GT72, while the Asus G751 cannot quite keep up in this category.
Communication
You can either access the Internet via Ethernet cable or wireless module. The manufacturer One equips our review unit with the Killer Wireless-AC 1525 from Qualcomm Atheros for an additional price of 25 Euros, which also supports the brand-new ac standard besides Bluetooth 4.1 and WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n. Users can change network settings and optimize the data traffic with the preloaded Killer Network Manager. Our test showed that the signal quality of the wireless adaptor is neither better nor worse compared to the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 in the Schenker XMG U505. We still had 2 out of 5 bars on average in the setup of the author (distance of 10-15 meters, several walls).
Maintenance
Both Clevo barebones P751ZM and P771ZM are currently unrivaled in terms of maintainability. While you cannot access the battery of the MSI GT729, the internal layout of the Asus G751 is pretty sealed in general and you can only access the memory and the hard drives via maintenance cover. The situation is much better with the One K73-5N. You just have to loosen some screws before you can access all components, and we do not only talk about the storage solutions, the wireless module and the DDR3 RAM (some slots underneath the keyboard), but also the fans and the cooling solution. Remove the latter and you also have full access to the processor and the graphics card. Contrary to the P670 barebone they are plugged modules, so you could replace them if necessary.
