Schenker XMG P502 review

Built into an off-the-shelf Clevo chassis, the XMG P502 isn’t the epitome of style, and neither is it particularly portable. Given its 3kg weight, without its bulky charging adaptor, The XMG P502 isn’t something you’d want to carry around on a daily basis. However, it is at least functional, leaving plenty of room for connectivity around the sides and rear.

With HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort video outputs at the back, and three 3.5mm audio input jacks on the side, the XMG 502 is clearly intended as a desktop PC replacement. You also get four USB ports, two of which are USB3 variants and one doubles as an eSATA port. You also get a Gigabit Ethernet port, a 4-pin FireWire port and a multiformat card reader. Finally, a Blu-ray optical drive lets you watch films or install games.

The integrated speakers were developed in partnership with Onkyo. As well as a pair of up-firing stereo drivers positioned above the keyboard, there’s also a third bass speaker in the base of the laptop. We hesitate to call it a subwoofer because it struggles to produce desk-shaking bass, but it does add a welcome low-end to music and films that would otherwise be missing without it. Don’t expect home cinema-quality sound, although the sound is a step up from most laptops. The mid-range was clear throughout our testing and the high-end was refreshingly clean, without sounding too sharp.

With gaming laptops from Alienware and Gigabyte costing between £1,500 and £2,500, it’s easy to assume you must spend a fortune to get playable frame rates at Full HD resolutions. However, the Schenker XMG P502 proves that isn’t the case. It’s easily powerful enough to play the latest games, as well as run any desktop application, yet it costs significantly less. With some tweaks to the configuration, you could reduce the price even further, but the system we reviewed represents the best value. It isn’t perfect, as the Clevo chassis doesn’t have the same impact as the competition, but you get a fantastic system for your money.