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Chillblast Jupiter review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £750
inc VAT

A good entry-level gaming laptop, but you can get much better graphics performance for £50 more

Specifications

Processor: Quad-core 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4710MQ, RAM: 8GB, Size: 374x252x31.4mm, Weight: 2.5kg, Screen size: 15.6in, Screen resolution: 1,920×1,080, Graphics adaptor: Nvidia GeForce GTX 850M, Total storage: 120GB SSD, 500GB hard disk

www.chillblast.com

Chillblast’s 15.6in Jupiter desktop replacement laptop uses one of the plainest chassis we’ve come across, with just a single company logo on the lid breaking up the monotony. While it’s not the most attractive laptop, the chassis doesn’t feel too badly made and there’s very little cheap-feeling flex to it, but we still can’t wait for the day where the suppliers of these chassis put a little more thought into their creations.

At 3cm thick, there’s plenty of room for connectors around the Jupiter’s edges. A DVD drive, two 3.5mm audio jacks, and a USB2 and a USB3 port sit on the right while the left side has HDMI and VGA outputs, a Gigabit Ethernet connector and two more USB3 ports, one of which doubles up as an eSATA connector.

The laptop runs almost silently when idling but the fans immediately kick in as soon as it has to do even moderately taxing tasks such as installing programs, but they’re still unobtrusive. Things get louder when playing graphically demanding games, but even then it’s just a moderate whooshing noise that’s easy to ignore. The keyboard tray and wrist rest are warm most of the time but don’t feel uncomfortably hot even when playing games, which is a relief.

Battery life in our light use benchmark, which involves playing videos and scrolling through web pages was fairly short at 4h 17m, but not surprising for a powerful laptop you’ll probably keep stationed at a desk for most of the time.

The keyboard isn’t backlit and its keys don’t have a huge amount of travel to them, but they’re reasonably responsive and aren’t uncomfortable to type on. The touchpad is responsive, with clicking, dragging and two-fingered scrolling all easily accessible. The physical mouse buttons aren’t pleasant to use and feel rather harsh when pressed, but it’s otherwise fine.

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Core specs
ProcessorQuad-core 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4710MQ
RAM8GB
Memory slots (free)2 (0)
Max memory16GB
Size374x252x31.4mm
Weight2.5kg
SoundRealtek HD Audio (2x 3.5mm audio ports)
Pointing deviceTouchpad
Display
Screen size15.6in
Screen resolution1,920×1,080
TouchscreenNo
Graphics adaptorNvidia GeForce GTX 850M
Graphics outputsHDMI, VGA
Graphics memory2GB
Storage
Total storage120GB SSD, 500GB hard disk
Optical drive typeDVD drive
Ports and expansion
USB ports1x USB2, 3xUSB3
BluetoothYes
Networking802.11n (dual band) Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet
Memory card readerSD, MMC
Other portseSATA
Miscellaneous
Operating systemWindows 8.1
Operating system restore optionWindows 8 restore
Buying information
Parts and labour warrantyTwo-years collect and return, five years parts and labour cover
Price inc VAT£750
Detailswww.chillblast.com
Supplierwww.chillblast.com
Part numberJupiter

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