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Battery Life
CLEVO W251EG Laptop Battery, W251EG batteries fast shipping to AU, Europe and World.
The 314 gram C4500BAT-6 Lithium-Ion battery comfortably slots into the back of the notebook. The all-rounder - as we are familiar with in this price segment - is equipped with a relatively feeble C4500BAT-6 6-cell battery, which provides just 49 Wh (C4500BAT-6).
Thanks to the Optimus technology the battery life is still quite substantial. While a DVD plays for about 2.5 hours (maximum brightness), a wireless internet connection is possible for approximately 3.5 hours (reduced brightness). If the notebook is exposed to a high level of utilization, then the battery packs up after an hour. During the Readers test with Battery Eater using the lowest brightness setting, the notebook at least managed to stay on its feet for 4.5 hours.
Case
The dark black surfaces look very nice at first glance, but turn out to be very sensitive as a result of their high gloss finish. Anyone who doesn't clean the case regularly will be confronted by fingerprints, streaks of various kinds and other blemishes. Special care and attention is required when it comes to the scratch-prone display frame.
Visually the 15-inch notebook makes a decent impression. While the shape is rather unspectacular, the lid and the palm resting area stand out positively with a fine pattern of lines. Compared to the more expensive W150ER-Barebone, which contains Nvidia's GeForce GT 650M, the W251EG(Q) is not only a little bit lighter (2.5 vs. 2.8 kg), but also somewhat slimmer (4.3 vs. 4.7 mm). Even more pronounced differences become apparent when it comes to the AC adapter (370 vs. 735 grams). The W150ER meanwhile stands out positively with a blemish resistant finish, a sharper display, more interfaces, and two 2.5 inch shafts (Schenker XMG A502).
Let's get to the stability of the Nexoc M507II, which doesn't exactly turn out to be outstanding. The lid can easily be dented inwards considerably in the center, and the base unit gives way around the area of the optical drive as usual. The notebook is by no means rickety though, and not taking into consideration any base unit vibrations the hinges do their job quite well.
Interfaces
The selection of interfaces is relatively unspectacular. Not considering the two modern USB 3.0 ports, users are only provided with the standard options.
Starting off on the left side, there is a RJ45 Gigabit LAN port, followed by a VGA port and the power input towards the back. Above the cooling vent is a digital HDMI output and the aforementioned USB 3.0 ports. To top it all off, there is also an eSATA port and a 9-in-1 card reader. The right side is not quite as well equipped. Along with the optical drive, there is a USB 2.0 port and two audio sockets (surround sound only via HDMI).
For comparison: the W150ER-Barebone is equipped with three audio sockets and three USB 3.0 ports. (HP TPN-C101 Battery)
The location of the ports is unlikely to be ideal in everyone's opinion. While right-handed users will unlikely encounter any difficulties using an external mouse, left-handed people could find the flow of warm air and limited maneuverability an issue. The front and back don't offer any possibilities for connectivity. According to the manufacturers information the webcam has a resolution of 2.0 megapixels.
Keyboard
The rounded individual keys have dimensions of 14.5 x 14.5 mm, and provide decent typing haptics. The end stop and pressure point will satisfy most buyers. The layout on the other hand is unlikely to please everyone. The reason: Clevo has included a three column numeric keypad with half a 0 button. A further negative aspect: depending on the typing force, the keyboard sometimes sounds a bit like it is rattling.
Important comfort functions, such as for changing or (de-)activating the display brightness, volume, touchpad, webcam or the wireless module, are marked with blue, and are primarily lined up along the narrow F-row. Note: some Clevo models, such as the P150EM (Schenker XMG P502 PRO) contain a backlit keyboard.
Touchpad
The touchpad left a conflicting impression: thanks to the circular structure on the surface - and despite the absence of a lowered or colored area - the location of the touchpad is still discernible, but lacks in terms of its gliding properties. At least the operation feels more pleasant than with the W150ER-Barebone (characteristic of sandpaper). Considering the rubbery W350ET (Schenker XMG A522), touchpads certainly don't seem to be one of the strengths of Clevo. (CLEVO C4500Q batteries)
During daily practical use the mouse replacement works quite well. The 87 x 46 mm dimensioned Elan Smart Pad can be used to control the mouse pointer reasonably quickly and precisely. Multi-touch support is also included. With the use of two or three fingers, it is possible to scroll, turn, flip and zoom the display content. The last of these functions was unfortunately quite stubborn in our test.
Great: the horizontal and vertical scrolling with the edge of the touchpad is already enabled when the notebook is first started. The two mouse buttons could be a touch better defined in our opinion though.
Display
The quality of the 15.6-inch non-glare display (16:9 aspect ratio) unfortunately didn't meet our expectations. Although Clevo primarily opts for relatively high-quality display panels, the W251EG(Q) regrettably has to make do with an average 08/15 product.
We were primarily disappointed by the black level; 1.5 cd/m² provides an extremely gray image in dark areas (immediately noticeable when booting). In order to achieve a luscious black, this value would have to be lower than 0.5 cd/m². The brightness of the LG LP156WH4-TLP2 panel is also not sufficient: 222 cd/m² may be enough for indoor surroundings, but outdoors the luminance deficiency will quickly come to light (comparison outdoor pictures).
Extrapolating the contrast of the display from our reviewed device led to a ratio of 151:1 - meager. As the Schenker XMG A502 shows, LG does have genuinely good models in their product line. The Full HD version LP156WF1 for example reaches a contrast of 600:1, and is therefore approximately four times better. Due to the lackluster colors (the panel already runs into difficulties with the sRGB color space) the movie and gaming atmosphere is additionally curtailed.
Those that are keen on multitasking could be especially irritated by the low resolution. 1366x768 pixels is no longer up to date in 2012. Depending on the application, a lot of scrolling could be required with a single window. It's a shame that Nexoc is not offering the HD+ version with 1600x900 pixels, which is also available according to the Clevo handbook. For less demanding games the graphics card would have enough performance reserves.
The narrow viewing angles are a further weakness of the TN panel. Regardless of whether horizontal or vertical: the picture changes after minimal deviations from the center. As an entertainment platform for several viewers the notebook is not an ideal candidate. Verdict: without an external monitor neither work nor use as a media device will be much fun. Clevo doesn't only forgo potential in this case, but also a few ratings points.
Speakers
The two speakers are hidden below the front of the notebook, contrary to their conventional location above the keyboard. Clevo has remained faithful to its lineage and has equipped the notebook with the THX TruStudio Pro technology, which makes the audio sound expectedly more whole and wider. With the pre-installed THX tool it is possible to switch the individual audio enhancements on and off according to preference.
Including the THX TruStudio Pro technology, we would rank the audio quality as halfway decent, while it is more or less in line with the usual notebook standard. The same applies to the acceptable maximum volume. Anyone who doesn't intend to use external speakers or a good pair of headphones and still expects a good audio quality would probably find the Dell XPS 15 or the Asus N56VZ to be more suitable options.
Verdict
The Nexoc M507II can probably be best described with the word solid. With the exception of the substandard HD display (narrow viewing angles, lackluster colors, low contrast) the 15-inch notebook hardly allows itself any mistakes. Whether input devices, interfaces, or mobility: in most categories the notebook is able to attain a decent to good rating.
The decently manufactured case may get annoying due to the sensitive glossy surfaces, but it is able to shine with comprehensive upgradability and practical input devices. Due to its moderate dimensions and decent weight (~2.5 kg), as well as the compact AC adapter, the multimedia notebook can also be easily transported.
Although the high performance components operate relatively efficiently, the M507II still gets quite warm and loud while running demanding applications. The majority of buyers should be able to come to terms with the emissions though.
More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu
