Eluktronics MECH 17 GP2 Liquid Cooled Gaming Laptop: Intel i9-13900HX, NVIDIA RTX 4090, 17" 16:10 240Hz QHD G-SYNC Display, Cherry Keyboard, 99WHr Battery, 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, 16GB DDR5 RAM LPP G2

Bought this laptop to replace my aging 2020 Asus TUF A15, which was starting to get thermal issues while playing modern titles, as well as running heavy software and containers/vms. I was seeking a desktop replacement that would be suitable for modern games in addition to software and game development. The trouble I find with most high-spec laptops is longevity and thermals. They run as cool as a cucumber when they come out, because most of what you're using them for doesn't require the processors to push up against their limits. But over time as software becomes more demanding, they start reaching those limits more frequently. The internal fans are rarely enough to allow the chips to reach their maximum capabilities without generating so much heat that I fear I'm damaging the computer. It's my hope that the Eluktronics water-cooling solution is the answer to this long-term thermal conundrum. I'd like to keep using my computer until its specs can no longer meet my use case, not until its thermals keep its specs from meeting my use case. The lower temperatures should reduce the concern about damaging the system under a heavy workload.Edit - 1 Week LaterThis laptop has been my daily driver for about a week, and it's either met or exceeded every expectation I had for it.Build and Design:When you take this thing out of the box, you're going to be impressed by the very solid construction of the unit. It's a nice metal chassis. The top is unbranded, which is an interesting decision; some might like it and some might not. The hinge is nice and sturdy. Very little screen flex and no body flex. It's far from the heaviest laptop I've ever had, but do keep in mind that it is a performance focused, desktop-replacement capable machine. It's not attempting to be a thin & light, and Eluktronics never presents it as being one.Keyboard and Mousepad:The mousepad on this unit is massive and very responsive, I've had no trouble working with it so far.The keyboard, true to their word, is mechanical. It's a fantastic typing experience, very responsive and snappy, but these keys are pretty loud, more than you'd think coming out of a laptop. This machine is not something you'd take to the library or a lecture.Display:The 2560 x 1660 240hz 16:10 display is as you'd expect: crisp, responsive, and massive. This isn't my first 17" laptop, but it is my first 16:10. For such a small change in aspect ratio, it appears to add alot of screen real estate. And, because of the specs, this computer can run many, many games at over 240fps, so that you get to actually use the high refresh screen.Software Experience:As Eluktronics promises, there is no bloatware on this computer. All that's installed when you get it is a wallpaper and the Control Center software. Control Center is the best laptop performance manager software I've used so far. Every feature, performance, overclocking, battery settings, display settings, MUX switching, and many more are all in one spot and easy to use. This interface isn't flashy, but it's perfectly functional.PERFORMANCE:I'm certain that if you're looking for this kind of laptop, this is the part you actually care about, at least it is for me. I'm not gonna mince words here: a Liquid Propulsion Package equipped Eluktronics laptop is probably the most powerful laptop you'll find among all laptops sharing the same specs. Ignoring the LPP for just a moment, this laptop already has a robust cooling system, and will perform in-line with other full-TDP laptops that have the same specs. The fans can get a little loud, but they're far from the loudest I've experienced, and they they do cool the laptop pretty effectively. The LPP, however, is what makes this laptop a cut above.Liquid Propulsion Package:A liquid cooled laptop sounds like a gimmick, and before I bought the Mech-17, I'd agree. But now that I've used it and tested it pretty thoroughly, I can confidently say that the LPP is the real deal. I was getting 10-15C lower temperatures on the GPU and CPU while running on full load, preventing throttling altogether. There's a short learning curve (about 45 minutes) to figure out how to use it properly, but once it's set up, it's easy to connect and disconnect. Just make sure you're using DISTILLED water-- no minerals! With it connected, you can set the water pump to medium and the fan to low, and the whole setup will barely make any noise. The internal laptop fans won't turn on because they won't be needed in most cases. The performance gains from being on the LPP are significant because the laptop won't be throttling, but the extra thermal overhead allows you to safely overclock this laptop, and here's where the magic happens. When overclocked (there's a built-in overclock called Benchmark Mode) and on the LPP, my 12900H/3070 Ti model performs at or above the level of a comparable 12900H/3080 Ti laptop (pictured above). When thermal throttling isn't a concern, you get access to the full capabilities of your laptop's specs.Overall, one week in, I'm exceedingly pleased with this laptop. Only time will tell how it holds up in the long run, but for now, it's a powerhouse.That said, I do have one reservation. According to forums and user feedback, there does seem to be a small, but notable, number of Eluktronics units that experience critical failures within the first 18 months. While I believe it is the minority of users who experience this, because of the laptop's price tag, those who have experienced it are justifiably vocal about it. Especially since these failures may occur just outside of the included 1 year warranty. This initially turned me off to the brand, but I found an equally vocal contingent of users praising Eluktronic's customer service. Having had terrible experiences with Dell hardware and customer support, I can appreciate those who do it right. All manufacturers have some units that managed to evade quality control, but not all manufacturers do right by their customers when an issue does come up.I'll be updating this review periodically with my experience.

I opened the case to add another 1TB NvME and was able to give the construction a once-over. I have built every desktop I've ever owned, and if I were building a laptop, this is how I would do it. There are no weird proprietary decisions made in the construction, and I would compare it to some Sager models I've worked on.I installed MX Linux in about 15 minutes from boot stick to login, and everything is supported in current distros. I use dual boot so that I can run either OS as needed.The keyboard is exactly what I want. I have clacky mx blue keyboards for every desktop application, and it is really nice to not have to adjust to a mushy generic membrane keyboard. My wife hates all of my keyboards, especially this one, since I'm not restricted to an office on this one.The numpad is sadly lacking. It is a membrane pad, and I can't count the times I've tried to hit 'Enter' with my right pinkie. I will probably adjust eventually, but it is a disappointment.The display is incredible! I have never handled a laptop with anything better.BIOS options are plentiful. I haven't found anything missing yet. I probably won't do much to tweak performance, since it is a 12900h, but many options are there.My prior laptop is a core i7-9750h with an RTX-2070, so I am only noticing very minor performance increases. I really like that laptop except for the display quality and the lack of numpad. This one is bigger and heavier, but I don't travel as much now, and work provides a decent notebook for that, so I felt it was time to move to a desktop replacement, regardless of weight and size.Is it the best laptop I've ever owned or worked on? YesIs it worth the price tag? are you kidding?? absolutelyIs it a good choice to give to a college kid? NO, it will break your heart when they get it stolen or break it through carelessness.If there is anything I would suggest to Eluktronics, it would be to offer an MX brown or red option because not everyone absolutely craves a clacky tactile keyboard.