Clevo PA71: A Comprehensive Review of the Ultimate Gaming and Performance Laptop

The Clevo PA71 is a powerful and versatile 17.3-inch gaming laptop, offering an excellent balance of performance, design, and value for money. Designed to cater to serious gamers, professionals, and creators, this laptop is packed with high-end components, including a 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU, and a stunning Full HD display. Whether you’re gaming, editing videos, or multitasking, the Clevo PA71 promises top-tier performance and smooth user experience. This in-depth review will cover all the aspects of the laptop, providing unique insights, comparisons, and detailed analyses to help you understand if the Clevo PA71 is the right fit for your needs.

What is the Clevo PA71?

The Clevo PA71 is a high-performance 17.3-inch laptop manufactured by Clevo, a company known for producing customizable laptops primarily aimed at gamers, professionals, and content creators. Clevo laptops are recognized for offering powerful internals and robust build quality, while also providing extensive customization options for RAM, storage, and more.

The Clevo PA71 is specifically built for users who need more screen real estate and power, whether for intensive gaming, video editing, 3D modeling, or multitasking. It features premium components and a durable aluminum chassis, making it a solid contender in the market for performance laptops.

Key Features of the Clevo PA71

Before diving into performance and user experience, let’s break down some of the key features that make the Clevo PA71 stand out from other gaming laptops on the market.

1. Large 17.3-Inch Display

One of the defining features of the Clevo PA71 is its large 17.3-inch display. Unlike many gaming laptops that opt for 15.6-inch screens, the PA71 offers a larger, more immersive viewing experience. Whether you’re gaming, watching movies, or editing photos and videos, the 17.3-inch screen provides ample space for all your needs.

The Full HD (1920×1080) resolution ensures crisp, clear visuals, while the IPS panel offers vibrant color reproduction and wide viewing angles. This makes it an ideal choice for content creators who require accurate color representation and gamers who want to enjoy high-quality graphics.

2. 9th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor

The Clevo PA71 comes equipped with a 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H processor. This hexa-core CPU operates at a base clock speed of 2.6 GHz and can turbo boost up to 4.5 GHz, ensuring the laptop can handle a variety of demanding applications. From gaming to video editing, this processor is fast enough to deliver smooth performance even with multiple tasks running simultaneously.

3. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Graphics Card

For serious gamers and content creators, graphics performance is crucial, and the Clevo PA71 delivers just that with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU. This graphics card offers excellent performance for modern games at 1080p resolution and high settings. You can expect smooth frame rates in titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry 5, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. With the GTX 1660 Ti, the Clevo PA71 provides high-quality gaming visuals without breaking the bank.

4. Solid Aluminum Chassis

Durability is another strong point of the Clevo PA71. The laptop is built with a solid aluminum chassis, offering both a premium feel and a high level of durability. Not only does this give the laptop a sleek and modern appearance, but the aluminum body also helps with better heat dissipation, keeping temperatures low during heavy gaming or multitasking sessions.

5. Customizable RAM and Storage

One of the most attractive features of Clevo laptops, including the PA71, is the ability to customize the internal components. The Clevo PA71 allows you to upgrade both the RAM and storage, ensuring that you can tailor the laptop to meet your specific needs. It comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM by default, but you can upgrade up to 64GB, making it perfect for users who need additional memory for tasks like video editing or running virtual machines. Additionally, the 512GB SSD provides fast storage, with the option to upgrade or add additional drives for more space.

Performance: How Well Does the Clevo PA71 Perform?

Now that we’ve covered the key features, let’s dive into the performance of the Clevo PA71. This laptop is designed for users who demand top-tier performance, whether they are gaming, editing videos, or working with large datasets. Here’s how it holds up under real-world usage:

Processor Performance: Intel Core i7-9750H

The Intel Core i7-9750H is one of the best mid-range processors available for laptops. With its six cores and 12 threads, it delivers impressive performance for both single-core and multi-core tasks. When gaming or running applications that don’t require much multi-threading, the processor’s high clock speeds (up to 4.5 GHz) ensure snappy performance. For multitasking, video editing, and other creative work, the 6-core design ensures that performance remains solid, even with multiple apps open.

In benchmarks, the i7-9750H delivers performance comparable to desktop processors, making it suitable for high-end gaming and productivity tasks. Whether you’re running demanding software like Adobe Premiere Pro or playing graphically intense games, this processor can handle it all.

Gaming Performance: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

Gaming is where the Clevo PA71 truly shines. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is an excellent mid-range GPU that delivers excellent 1080p gaming performance. It is built on the Turing architecture, offering more efficient performance than previous generations. The GTX 1660 Ti is capable of running most modern games on high settings at 1080p with smooth frame rates.

For instance:

• In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you can expect 60 FPS or higher on high settings.
• In Far Cry 5, the laptop delivers consistent 60 FPS on ultra settings.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare also runs smoothly at high settings, achieving 60 FPS with no issues.

For content creators, the GTX 1660 Ti is also great for tasks like 3D rendering, video editing, and animation. It accelerates workloads in creative applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and Blender, reducing the time it takes to render complex projects.

Multitasking and Productivity

For general productivity tasks like word processing, web browsing, and light media consumption, the Clevo PA71 is overkill, but its power ensures that even when running multiple applications or using demanding software, there are no slowdowns or lag. The 16GB of RAM (expandable to 64GB) provides ample memory for running multiple programs simultaneously without running into memory bottlenecks.

For tasks like video editing, the Clevo PA71 offers excellent performance. The combination of the Intel i7-9750H processor and GTX 1660 Ti GPU ensures that tasks like 4K video editing, rendering, and 3D modeling can be done without significant delays. The inclusion of a 512GB SSD also ensures that files and projects load quickly.

Battery Life: Can the Clevo PA71 Last Through Long Sessions?

Battery life in gaming laptops is generally not impressive, but the Clevo PA71 offers a decent runtime, considering its high-performance components. The 4-cell, 62Wh battery provides about 5-6 hours of battery life during light tasks such as web browsing or video streaming. However, when gaming or using demanding applications, the battery life drops significantly.

While this is standard for gaming laptops, it’s important to note that you’ll likely need to plug in for long gaming sessions or heavy workloads. Fortunately, the Clevo PA71 supports fast charging, so you can quickly recharge and get back to work or play.

Design and Build Quality: A Closer Look

Build and Durability

The Clevo PA71 features an all-aluminum chassis that not only looks premium but also provides durability. Aluminum helps with heat dissipation, ensuring that the laptop stays cool even under heavy load. The laptop is a bit thicker and heavier than more portable ultrabooks, but it’s still manageable for a 17.3-inch laptop, weighing around 6.2 pounds.

This solid build quality ensures that the Clevo PA71 can withstand the rigors of daily use. Whether you’re carrying it in a backpack or setting it up on a desk for gaming, the Clevo PA71 is sturdy and ready for action.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard on the Clevo PA71 is well-designed for gamers and professionals. The keys have a good amount of travel, providing a satisfying typing experience. It also includes a numeric keypad, making it ideal for users who need extra functionality for data entry or gaming.

The trackpad is responsive, although like most gaming laptops, it’s recommended to use a mouse for gaming or precision work. For general productivity, the trackpad performs well.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Clevo PA71

Is the Clevo PA71 good for gaming?

Yes, the Clevo PA71 is an excellent gaming laptop. It features a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card and a 9th gen Intel Core i7 processor, which are more than capable of running modern games at 1080p with smooth frame rates.

Can I upgrade the RAM and storage on the Clevo PA71?

Yes, one of the highlights of the Clevo PA71 is its upgradability. The laptop comes with 16GB of RAM, but you can upgrade it to 64GB if you need more memory. The storage can be upgraded with additional SSDs or HDDs.

How long does the battery last on the Clevo PA71?

The Clevo PA71 offers about 5-6 hours of battery life for light usage like web browsing and video streaming. However, gaming or intensive tasks will significantly reduce battery life.

Is the Clevo PA71 suitable for video editing?

Yes, the Clevo PA71 is a great laptop for video editing. With its Intel Core i7 processor and GTX 1660 Ti GPU, it offers excellent performance for editing 4K videos, rendering, and running editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Is the Clevo PA71 heavy?

At around 6.2 pounds, the Clevo PA71 is heavier than ultrabooks but typical for a high-performance 17.3-inch gaming laptop. It’s not as portable as smaller laptops, but its performance makes up for the extra weight.

Conclusion

The Clevo PA71 is a powerhouse gaming laptop and workhorse for professionals and creators. With its 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, GTX 1660 Ti graphics card, 17.3-inch display, and customizable upgrades, it offers a perfect blend of power, performance, and value. Whether you’re gaming at high settings, editing videos, or multitasking, the Clevo PA71 provides a smooth and efficient experience. While the battery life may not be exceptional under heavy use, the laptop’s performance, design, and build quality make it an excellent choice for users who need power and portability.