Experiences with 'xnotebooks'

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"Who is searching for a new and powerfull laptops has sometimes problems to find one that's perfect for their needs. Okay, you can go to Dell and customize a nice laptop, or you could buy a ASUS laptop or a Toshiba Qosimo. But you're always limited in your choices of hardware.. A nice laptop but only available with 4GB RAM and you want 8GB.. Or with a normal HDD and you prefer a SSD.. Offcourse you could upgrade it a little by yourself, put in some RAM or another HDD, but that's a pity because you paid for the hardware and most of the times your warranty is void. If you still want the latest technology, the newest CPU's or the best GPU's your choices are still limited.. Several companies are trying to solve this problem with selling barebones: laptops that you can customize for 99%. Now there is a new company, allowing you to customize your ultraperfect laptops: xnotebooks"

Source: HardWare.info​

List of content:

• xnotebooks information
• Why I have started this topic
• More information
• Dominator MNI15: 15,4" WSXGA 1680x1050 / nVidia GTS250M / i5-520M 2,93GHz / 4GB RAM / 320GB 5400rpm
• Terminator CNI15: 15,6" WXGA++ 1600x900 / nVidia GTX260M / i7-720M 2,80GHz / 4GB RAM / 320GB 5400rpm
• Dominator MNI17: 17,0" WSXGA 1680x1050 / nVidia GTS250M / i5-520M 2,93GHz / 4GB RAM / 320GB 5400rpm
• Terminator CNI17: 17,3" Full HD 1920x1080 / nVidia GTS360M / i7-720M 2,80GHz / 4GB RAM / 320GB 5400rpm
• Reviews & Benchmarks
• YouTube
• Links
• Left to say...
• Changelog

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The reason why I've started this xnotebooks-threads is very simple. I'm searching for a high-end laptop, with nice looks and specs. I've used Zepto laptops for many years and I loved them. I've sold my Zepto Znote 6224W about a month ago so my new laptop hunt has started! So it's time for something new, someting spectaculair, something revolutionair, a new laptop!!!

The Zepto Znote 6224W that I've used has got a beautiful UltraCrisp matte screen that pleased me for more than two years. Nowadays it is hardly to find laptops with matte screens, in my humble opinion a pity, because I loved it. The fact that most of the laptopscreens are glossy nowadays was a point to focus on in my laptophunt.. I want a high-end laptop with a matte screen...

Fortunately I'm interested in laptops for many years now, I love them, I read much about them, I, reviewed some laptops (on NoteBookReview.com and on Tweakers.net, a Dutch site)and I have a lot of contacts made in.. That's why I've found xnotebooks. They have the biggest assortiment in hardware that I've ever seen, very nice! (assortiment in every country could offcourse vary)

A new company, where the Terminator CNI15 catched my eye!
A 15,6" chassis with the choice of a matte screen (no matte foil, like other companies),
Core i5 or Core i7 CPU's en GPU's varying from the nVidia GTX260M 1GB GDDR3 to the ATI 5870 1GB GDDR5!

Hmm I wanted to know more and fortunately I found the first reviews at HardWare.info
I've readed it, checked the website of xnotebooks (offcourse I've checked the Dutch website, because I'm from the Netherlands, but they also have a website in the USA / Sweden en Denmark), made some configurations, searched for benchmarks and eventually started a topic on Tweakers.net (the topic with a much better layout then here on NBR - translated from Dutch to Englisch - can be found here)

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You can find and customize xnotebooks in very varying priceclasses..
From 300 euro to thousands of euro's.. From 10" netbook to 18,4" multimediamonsters.

In this topicstart I've lined up the four most powerfull xnotebooks..
Every notebooks is customizable.. (not every model had the same configuration options) You can choose different screen: glossy or matte, you can choose the HDD's that you want: 5400rpm or 7200rpm or SSD, you can choose different RAM and so on, and so on.. And you have much choice in CPU and GPU's.. CPU's are varying from Core i5 CPU's to the Core i7 Extremes and GPU's for travelers on the road which need much batterylife, GPU's for gamers like the ATI5870 or GPU's for 3D modelers like the FX2800.

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• 
  Standard configuration:
• 15.4" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050)
• nVidia GTS250M 1GB GDDR3
• Intel Core i5 520M (2.40GHz - 2.93GHz Turbo, 3MB cache)
• 4GB DDR3-1066MHz (2 x 2GB)
• 320GB 5400rpm HDD
• DVD-rewriter
• Intel Ultimate WiFi Link 5100 (300Mbps)

• 
  Features:
• Cardreader (4 in 1)
• eSata
• ExpressCard 54mm
• FireWire
• HDMI output
• 7.1 (S/PDIF) output
• Numeric keyboard
• USB 2.0 (2x en 1x shared USB 2.0 / eSata)
• VGA output
• Webcam (2.0MP)

• 
  What's adjustable:
• CPU: up to Core i7 820m
• RAM: up to 8GB DDR3 1333MHz
• HDD: up to 256GB SSD
• Optical: up to BluRay-writer
• WiFi: up toWiFi Link 5300

​

• 
  Standard configuration:
• 15.6" WXGA++ (1600x900)
• nVidia GTX260M 1GB GDDR3
• Intel Core i7 720M (1.60GHz - 2.80GHz Turbo, 6MB cache)
• 4GB DDR3-1333MHz (2 x 2GB)
• 320GB 5400rpm HDD
• DVD-rewriter
• Intel Ultimate WiFi Link 5100 (300Mbps)

• 
  Features:
• Cardreader (7 in 1)
• DVI output
• eSata
• ExpressCard 54mm
• Fingerprintreader
• FireWire (mini)
• HDMI output
• 7.1 (S/PDIF) output
• Numeric keyboard
• USB 2.0 (4x en 1x shared USB 2.0 / eSata)
• Webcam (2.0MP)

• 
  What's adjustable:
• Screen: up to Full HD (1920x1080)
• GPU: up to ATI5870 1GB GDDR5
• CPU: up to Core i7 920xm
• RAM: up to 8GB DDR3 1333MHz
• HDD: up to 256GB SSD
• Optical: up to BluRay-writer
• WiFi: up to WiFi Link 5300

[/


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• 
  Standard configuration:
• 17.0" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050)
• nVidia GTS250M 1GB GDDR3
• Intel Core i5 520M (2.40GHz -2.93GHz Turbo, 3MB cache)
• 4GB DDR3-1066MHz (2 x 2GB)
• 320GB 5400rpm HDD
• DVD-rewriter
• Intel Ultimate WiFi Link 5100 (300Mbps)

• 
  Features:
• Cardreader (4 in 1)
• eSata
• ExpressCard 54mm
• FireWire
• HDMI output
• 7.1 (S/PDIF) output
• Numeric keyboard
• USB 2.0 (2x en 1x shared USB 2.0 / eSata)
• VGA output
• Webcam (2.0)

• 
  What's adjustable:
• CPU: up to Core i7 920xm
• RAM: up to 8GB DDR3 1333MHz
• HDD: up to 256GB SSD
• Optical: up to BluRay-writer
• WiFi: up to WiFi Link 5300

​

• 
  Standard configuration:
• 17.3" Full HD (1920x1080)
• nVidia GTS360M 1GB GDDR3
• Intel Core i7 720M (1.60GHz - 2.80GHz Turbo, 6MB cache)
• 4GB DDR3-1333MHz (2 x 2GB)
• 320GB 5400rpm HDD
• DVD-rewriter
• Intel Ultimate WiFi Link 5100 (300Mbps)

• 
  Features:
• Cardreader (7 in 1)
• DVI output
• eSata
• ExpressCard 54mm
• Fingerprintreader
• FireWire (mini)
• HDMI output
• 7.1 (S/PDIF) output
• Numeric keyboard
• USB 2.0 (4x en 1x shared USB 2.0 / eSata)
• Webcam (2.0MP)

• 
  What's adjustable:
• GPU: up to ATI5870 1GB GDDR5
• CPU: up to Core i7 920xm
• RAM: up to 8GB DDR3 1333MHz
• HDD: up to 2x 256GB SSD
• RAID: RAID0 striping / RAID0 mirroring
• Optical: up to BluRay-writer
• WiFi: up toWiFi Link 5300

​

Reviews about several xnotebooks:
HardWare.info: 3x xnotebook
HardWare.info: Dominator MNI15
HardWare.info: Terminator CNI15
HardWare.info: Dominator MNI17
HardWare.info: Terminator CNI17


"Xnotebooks is a new brand that has to proof itself in service. De machines that we've tested have showed that they are trying to put a interesting new laptopbrand on the market for all the people that want to customize their laptops. Offcourse that's more expensive than buying a laptop in a normal (web)store. The advantage is that you can customize your laptop as you want it

The machines that we've tested are offering interesing possibilities. The Terminator CNI15 is as fast as an F16,
but relatively thick and heavy. But if you want a laptop with perfect graphic performance it's a interesting option.

The two Dominators are also interesting. Okay, de GTS250 isn't the best GPU, but his prestations are quite good.
Especially the MNI15 is quite worth it: good prestations, a screen with a high resolution.

De notebooks from xnotebooks have got a carry-in warranty of two years."

Source: HardWare.info​

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Very nice resulsts and benchmarks.. but read the reviews,
so you know which laptop had got which hardware when they reviewed it..

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xnotebooks has got is own YouTube-channel with several xnotebooks movies, check them out:
xnotebooks Terminator CNI15: Playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

xnotebooks Terminator CNI15: Booting Windows 7

xnotebooks Terminator CNI17: A Round-up and some 3D benches

xnotebooks Raptor A15: Round-up

xnotebooks Sense XA15: Round-up

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Links:
xnotebooks EU for the European section of xnotebooks
xnotebooks USA for the American section of xnotebooks

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You can PM me if you find mistakes, or want to make additions in this topicpost

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• 22-05-10 - Topic has been started
• And all kind of little additions (links / pictures / content)

-TS is made by CLB-​

 

Some pictures, info and benches:

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a new xnotebooks-YouTube-channel has been started today:

And the first video is online:
YouTube - xnotebooks Terminator CNI15: Booting Windows 7

 

So far so good, Finlay some dutch person who knows what to post and is capable enough to complete a review.
Waiting for more details, will check back.

For me personally it's nice to see more people from NL are interested in ordering a notebook which is customized instead of buying the default brands/models.

 

Dutch people like customized notebooks! And they have the money..
At the moment with the crisis and so on, the customized laptop market is down...

But if you look at that Danish laptopbrand: Zepto, the Dutch people loved it!


And I've found a out that xnotebooks has got an own YouTube-channel:
YouTube - xnotebookseu's Channel

And they have got uploaded a new movie, showing the CNI15 playing MW2:
YouTube - xnotebookseu's Channel - CNI15: Playing MW2

 

A new movie of their Raptor A15..
YouTube - xnotebooks Raptor A15 - Roundup

 

Anybody that ordered a xnotebook?

They have another movie of another model.. looks very very nice imho..


YouTube - xnotebooks Sense XA15: Roundup