Eurocom Sky E9E2 Laptop: Intel Core i7, Two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080/1070 GPUs in SLI, Optional 120 Hz Display Panel
by Anton Shilov on August 26, 2016 7:45 AM ESTEurocom has released one of the world’s first laptops featuring two NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1080/1070 GPUs, along with one of Intel’s latest Core i7 CPUs for good measure. The Sky E9E2 machine is designed primarily for gamers, but it can also be equipped with up to 64 GB DRAM, up to 6 TB of storage and even optional 120 Hz display panels. Given the high-performance goals of the system, it not only costs a lot but also comes in a thick chassis designed to fit 17.3" screens as well.
The Eurocom Sky X9E2 notebook is based on the Intel Z170 PCH and supports socketed Skylake-S processors (Intel Core i7-6700K, i5-6600K and i7-6700 options are available) that can be overclocked. The machine can fit up to four SO-DIMMs for a total of 64 GB of DDR4 memory, although maximum XMP support isn't directly listed. For graphics, the X9E2 uses one or two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070/1080 graphics processors in an MXM form-factor, which have 120-190 W TDP per card, but the system promises to deliver desktop-class performance in mobile form-factor. Installing a rather hot GPU into modern gaming laptop chassis should not be a problem in general, but Eurocom’s Sky X9E2 is among the first machines to integrate up to two Pascal graphics processors with a potential total TDP of <380 W. To cool the CPU as well as the GPU(s), the portable PC uses a sophisticated cooling system with multiple heat pipes as well as three huge blower fans.
For storage, the Eurocom Sky X9E2 can integrate up to two 2.5”/9.5mm SSDs or HDDs (in consumer land, that's 4 TB of storage) as well as up to two M.2-2280 NVMe SSDs (another two more terabytes). In addition, the laptop has 6-in-1 card reader as well as two Thunderbolt 3.0 ports (which automatically suggests support for two USB Type-C ports with 10 Gbps transfer rate) and five USB 3.0 connectors. For connectivity, the Sky X9E2 has two Killer Networking E2400 GbE controllers as well as one M.2-2230 Wi-Fi 802.11ac with Bluetooth controller.
When it comes to display options, end-users can choose between an IPS FHD panel, an AHVA FHD panel with 120 Hz refresh rate as well as an IPS UHD panel. Optionally, the machine also supports NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology. Moreover, the laptop has several display outputs (HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 and Thunderbolt 3) in a bid to support NVIDIA’s SurroundView capability. For audio the PC has Sound Blaster X-Fi MB5 chip with 7.1-channel audio outputs as well as integrated 2 W speakers and a 2.5 W subwoofer.
The Sky X9E2 desktop replacement comes with either a 330 W or 660 W PSU (the latter is required when its spec is maxed out and the system is equipped with two GPUs), an 8 cell Li-Ion 89 Wh battery (battery life from zero to some depending on configuration), weighs 5.5 kilograms (12.1 lbs) and is 47.2 mm (1.88 inch) thick. The starting price of the DTR machine from Eurocom is $2499, and can push much nearer five digits when maxed out.
Source: Eurocom
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milkod2001 - Friday, August 26, 2016 - link
Eurocom is bundling this laptop with car battery if you want to game on the go lolHollyDOL - Friday, August 26, 2016 - link
I don't know... The idea of 'gaming laptop' fundamentally seems like a complete nonsense to me. Battery life is non-existant with that setup, it could just as well go batteryless and save weight and space, temperatures these machines operate are pretty high and in the end you still want to play with normal keyboard and mouse on a big screen (well, 24"+ big...). Plus when put on heavy load they resemble 1U server fans with the noise.I am not saying it can't find buyer or a reasonable use case, but I can't see it.
RaichuPls - Friday, August 26, 2016 - link
Gaming laptops do make sense. A 14 inch thin and light with a GTX1060 is a perfect example.BrokenCrayons - Friday, August 26, 2016 - link
That would indeed seem pretty sensible, but this particular laptop does defy reason. I'm sure Eurocom is aware of that fact and they're targeting a small niche market with it.SirMaster - Friday, August 26, 2016 - link
How about someone who has to travel for work and they find themselves away from home in a company paid for hotel room more days per year than they find themselves at home? What if they want to play the latest games at max settings during their evenings?I have such a friend actually who travels all over doing audits all the time.
K_Space - Friday, August 26, 2016 - link
Still better off with a Bitfenix case keyboard and mouse (which he could place in the now empty laptop bag) and a HDMI cable which you can connect to any hotel room TV.Sushisamurai - Friday, August 26, 2016 - link
I would disagree, my friend has to travel sometimes for 1-3 weeks at a time. He prefers to carry one luggage for convenience (1 luggage, 1 carry on). It's not a weight of laptop or luggage, or lack of luggage carts, it's the convenience of only needing two hands. Fitting a desktop in that luggage with all said accessories and minimum 5 days worth of business attire doesn't fit. You can try it. We did.Notmyusualid - Saturday, August 27, 2016 - link
I'd like to disagree with you.I've tried carrying a Shuttle SFF PC instead - it doesn't travel well, you need a dedicated hard case.
And the screen arrived cracked at the top, despite my best efforts to pack it safely.
Doing the HDMI cable to hotel TV isn't great either - the lag is quite noticable, and recently I've seen some hotels (in Vietnam), where the TV was mounted so tight to the wall, the HDMI ports were inaccessible.
Long story-short, you need to CARRY-ON your device to ensure its safety, and security (arrived in Bangkok two months back sans baggage with two brand new Cisco APs in it - I got the bag in the end, but it could have been gone forever).
BrokenCrayons - Friday, August 26, 2016 - link
That depends on what that sort of person is willing/able to spend on a laptop and whether or not they're willing to lug along $2500+ worth of laptop with them. I was in a job for a couple years that required a lot of travel. About half my time was spent in hotel rooms. While most of the places where I stayed were decent and in areas where I felt safe, I was reluctant to take anything of value. Since one of these laptops can flirt with $10k in fully fledged out configuration, it would absolutely not be something I'd want to take along on with me even if I was on the road that much.Were I doing that sort of work again, I'd grab something from the bottom of the bargain barrel like an HP Stream, dump any personal data of importance up to a storage provider, and make do with whatever its anemic CPU/iGPU combo could handle in the realms of entertainment. Unwinding and relaxing at the end of the day is important, but I could walk away from ten stolen/lost/broken budget laptops before approaching the cost of something like the E9E2.
Notmyusualid - Saturday, August 27, 2016 - link
I carry a Kensington lock with me. It has a 4-digit code, and it well made. I know it is well made as I was unable to cut one of them with a hacksaw - to my surprise.When I go downstairs for dinner, etc, my AW18 is anchored to a variety of things, as you never know who could enter your room.
Even at home in the UK, it get anchored to the living room radiator when I'm out for the evening. I've been robbed three times, though not in 10 years.