Scan 3XS Graphite LG157 review

Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 960M graphics card handles gaming performance. It has 2GB of dedicated video memory, and despite not being a massive upgrade over last year’s 860M in terms of raw specifications, certainly proved capable in our tests. Dirt Showdown is unlikely to fluster modern PCS, but is still a good place to start for laptops: at 1,920×1,080 resolution and Ultra detail settings, the 3XS Graphite LG157 managed a silky smooth 48fps.

Metro: Last Light Redux provides a bit more of a challenge for today’s gaming machines. Our toughest benchmark takes graphics settings to their highest and switches on the GPU-straining super sampling anti aliasing (SSAA). In this test, the 3XS LG157 managed an average frame rate of 17.7fps, which is unfortunately too juddery to be considered playable. Merely switching SSAA off improved this to 33fps, although for a stable frame rate we’d recommend dropping the game’s quality settings down from Very High to High, giving the chip a better chance of producing stable gameplay.

Battery life in our moderate usage test was pretty short at just 4h 20m, and you should expect this to be even shorter if you play games while unplugged. You’ll have to make sure you take the hefty power brick with you whenever using the LG157 on the move, but realistically it will be plugged in while gaming at home.

One of the biggest benefits of the new Clevo chassis is an improved display, which switches out the TN panel found in previous 3XS laptops with a superior IPS panel. Resolution remains the same at 1,920×1,080, but in terms of image quality it comfortably bests our current mid-range laptop Best Buy winner, the Acer Aspire V15 Nitro. An sRGB colour gamut coverage score of 90.9% is among the best we’ve seen from a Full HD display, while the 862:1 contrast ratio and 0.31cd/m2 black levels add up to create vivid and detailed images – particularly important when playing darker games where some objects and foes are shrouded in darkness.

There’s no doubt the Scan 3XS Graphite LG157 is a major upgrade in terms of looks and dimensions over its predecessors, and although you could still argue the all-black design is starting to feel a little old fashioned, it’s a minor point in what is otherwise a great value machine. Build quality is high, which isn’t always the case when working with Clevo chassis, the components inside are fast and you also get Scan’s generous two-year warranty. You can customise almost every aspect of the laptop too, meaning you can get exactly the specification you want within your budget.

Not your style? Take a look at our Best Laptop 2015 guide for more top-quality laptops.