Scan 3XS Graphite LG10 review

While a company like Scan doesn’t have the resources to build its own custom laptop chassis, relying instead on an off-the-shelf Clevo case, the advantage is that it doesn’t have to create a specific model that will be available in huge numbers. Instead, Scan has a free hand and can take more time choosing the components it wants in its computer, targeting a different audience entirely. Step in the 3XS Graphite LG10, which is designed as a powerful desktop replacement and gaming laptop.

Everything about this 15.6in laptop is designed to offer the best performance, while letting you happily dump your desktop. There’s no denying the sheer power of this laptop, which is fitted with a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-3740QM (capable of a Turbo Boost to 3.7GHz) and 8GB of RAM.

It powered through our benchmarks, with an overall score of 97. This is just three points shy of the 100 scored by our reference desktop PC fitted with an Intel Core i5-3570K. It’s a particularly impressive score given that most laptops typically score just under half that of a regular desktop.

Scan hasn’t just built the 3XS Graphite LG10 to cope with demanding 2D tasks and wants this laptop to be great for games, too. That means no integrated graphics, but the full power of an Nvidia GeForce GT 670M. This mobile graphics chip has 2GB of dedicated RAM, a core speed of 598MHz and 336 stream processors.

Specifications will only tell you so much, but the 670M shone in our games tests, too. In our Dirt 3 Showdown laptop test, run at 1,280×720, the 3XS Graphite LG10 managed an impressive 88.8fps. Upping the resolution to 1,920×1,080 (supported, thanks to the laptop’s hi-res screen) and setting everything to Ultra detail, we got a borderline-playable framerate of 26.2fps. Dropping the detail settings to High, which still looks fantastic, we got a super-smooth 57.3fps.

Typically, we don’t run our Crysis 2 test on laptops as they tend to struggle. However, as this laptop was powering through our Dirt 3 Showdown benchmarks, we decided to give it a go. At the laptop’s native Full HD resolution and with Ultra detail selected we saw just 15.69fps, but this can easily be improved by tweaking graphics settings. In other words, no matter what you throw at the 3XS Graphite LG10, this powerful laptop will cope with it.

We were very impressed with this laptop’s 1,920×1,080 display. The high resolution helps make everything look pin sharp, while also providing plenty of Windows 8 desktop space for your applications. Image quality is excellent, too. High contrast and vibrant colours really help to bring everything alive, from the latest first-person shooters to any photos you’re editing. We’ve no complaints about viewing angles either, and you can clearly see the screen from pretty much any normal angle without a loss of image quality.