Medion Erazer Beast X30 review: superb power, resonable weight

Medion may not be the primary model you’d think about for a gaming pocket book, however the Erazer Beast X30 has a specification that’s certain to draw consideration.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the world’s strongest laptop computer graphics card, for starters, and it’s paired with one of many beefiest laptop computer processors that Intel has ever made. There’s no energy scarcity on the within, and the outside serves up a 17.3in show with a speedy 240Hz refresh fee.

This laptop computer is a monster on paper, however you’ll nonetheless should pay £2699 to get your palms on this absolute unit – and it faces sturdy competitors from rivals just like the Alienware x17 and Razer Blade 17. And as we’ve already seen from their smaller variations in our best gaming laptops chart, these big-brand rivals are spectacular.

Design and construct: beast by title, not by nature

On the spec sheet the Medion sounds superb, however it doesn’t look daring if you heave the rig from its field. It’s constructed from matte black magnesium-aluminium alloy, and the slick physique omits the wild design you’ll discover on some laptops. 

Certainly, flip off the RGB LEDs and the Beast appears extra like a piece laptop computer than a gaming pocket book.

That’s not essentially a nasty factor, as a result of not everybody desires a flashy laptop computer just like the monochromatic Alienware. That stated, the Razer goes even additional down this path, with slimmer display bezels and an excellent slicker physique. 

Nonetheless, it is a handsome laptop computer, and the Beast impresses elsewhere too. Construct high quality is stable, and we’ve obtained no qualms about slinging the Beast right into a backpack. The two.3kg weight undercuts the Alienware and Razer machines massively, too, and the Beast isn’t a lot thicker than these rigs both.

On the left-hand fringe of this sturdy, comparatively mild laptop computer you’ll discover a USB port, and on the appropriate there are two extra full-size USB connections and a microSD reader. The rear deploys an HDMI 2.0 output and a USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 socket, and above the show there’s a Home windows Hey webcam for facial sign-in. Inside connectivity is roofed by 2.5Gbps Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. 

That’ll sate most players, however each rivals have higher USB connectivity and HDMI 2.1 outputs that may deal with future-proofed situations, like 4K video games at 120Hz and 8K titles at 60Hz. Razer’s rig additionally provides an SD card slot.

Efficiency: erasing the competitors

The Medion may not entice consideration on the skin, however its internals have lots to say. The RTX 3080 Ti unleashes 16GB of devoted reminiscence and seven,424 processing cores, and its 175W energy degree is the height for this GPU. The processor’s spec is equally muscular, with fourteen cores and a high Turbo tempo of 5GHz.

These core elements are bolstered by 32GB of DDR5 reminiscence and a 2TB SSD. If you wish to play video games on a laptop computer, you don’t want way more.

Unsurprisingly, there’s no scarcity of gaming energy. The Medion rattled by means of Murderer’s Creed Valhalla at high graphics settings and at 2,560 x 1,440 with a butter-smooth framerate of 64fps, and it performed Purple Useless Redemption 2 at 68fps. 

The Erazer will play any top-tier single-player sport on the panel’s native decision – and it’ll do it for years to come back. It’ll scythe by means of any esports state of affairs, too. 

There’s no scarcity of energy from the processor. The Core i9-12900HK sliced by means of Geekbench’s single- and multi-core assessments with scores of 1,616 and 13,822, they usually’re stonking outcomes – quicker than any AMD laptop computer chip and sufficient for any content-creation situation. 

The Medion’s gaming efficiency matches any rival, and it beats the Alienware and Razer rigs in processing benchmarks. And whereas the Erazer does produce fan noise when it hammers by means of video games, it’s no louder than different rigs and a headset will simply drown it out. 

It’s not all excellent news, although. The Medion’s Turbo mode didn’t enhance gaming tempo and solely produced extra fan noise. And, irrespective of the mode, the steel above the keyboard and the plastic beneath each turned too scorching to the touch.

That extra warmth isn’t an enormous problem – you gained’t contact the steel above the keys, and 17.3in gaming notebooks keep rooted to desks reasonably than laps. However the Alienware and Razer are each higher thermal performers. 

And, as ever, don’t anticipate good battery life: the Medion delivered ninety minutes of gaming longevity and three hours in workloads, so keep on with the mains when you may. 

Nonetheless, these foibles are forgivable when you think about that the £2699 Beast is comparatively low cost when in comparison with its big-brand rivals. If you wish to replicate this spec on the Alienware x17 it’ll price £2999, and Razer’s equal prices £4099. 

Medion additionally builds this rig with the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti alongside a Core i7-12700H processor for £2499 – a sensible method to save money on the expense of solely a bit of CPU energy. The entry-level RTX 3070 Ti mannequin solely prices £1799, and that worth massively undercuts the Alienware and Razer laptops.

Display and sound: panel beating

The 17.3in show has a crisp 2560×1440 decision and a {smooth} 240Hz refresh fee – so it delivers silky-smooth gameplay in each mainstream situation.

High quality ranges are first rate, too. The 1,206:1 distinction ratio offers stable gaming punch and good depth, and the delta E of 1.89 ensures nice color accuracy. There’s little doubt about it: video games look good right here. 

This panel competes nicely with its big-brand rivals. The Alienware has extra vibrant colors, however its refresh fee doesn’t rise past 165Hz and it’s solely bought in 1080p and 4K guises – you don’t get the Medion’s well-balanced center floor specification. And whereas the Razer’s 360Hz screens do a greater job with esports, solely top-tier gamers want that refresh fee and also you’ll should pay £4099 to get your palms on a 360Hz Razer with the RTX 3080 Ti.

The audio system aren’t any good: they’re quiet, tinny and devoid of bass. Spend money on a headset – you gained’t should spend a lot to get higher audio.

Keyboard and touchpad: RGB-minus

Medion’s keyboard has giant buttons, a numberpad and anti-ghosting alongside RGB LED backlighting, and the buttons are quick, fairly snappy, and cozy. For all-day gaming it’s simply ok. 

Adequate, although, isn’t fairly sufficient to compete. The Alienware and Razer models omit numberpads, however they provide quicker and crisper typing – and the Alienware will be upgraded with a correct mechanical keyboard. 

Each rigs have extra versatile per-key RGB LED backlighting, whereas the Medion makes do with unsophisticated four-zone lights. And, as ever, the trackpad is ok, however anybody who desires to take pleasure in video games can buy a USB mouse. 

Verdict 

There’s little doubt that the Medion will get the large particulars proper. Its RTX 3080 Ti GPU provides stonking gaming energy, the Core i9 processor is quick and versatile, and there’s ample reminiscence alongside a super-fast SSD. It’ll play any sport, run nearly any productiveness device, and make every thing look good on its QHD show.

Look past these core competencies, although, and the Erazer is middling. The keyboard is ok, however higher typing {hardware} is offered. The chassis is mild and sturdy, however different rigs look higher and provide improved connectivity. The audio system suck.

None of these are dealbreakers, although, particularly when the Medion is a lot cheaper than the competitors – and that makes it deal when you’re trying to find big gaming energy on a finances.

Tech specs