Origin PC swings EON11-S for quad-core ultraportable gaming
updated 12:30 am EDT, Sun April 29, 2012
Origin PC EON11-S puts quad Core i7 into 11in PC
Origin PC took its turn at the high-performance ultraportable category Sunday with the EON11-S. Using the same Clevo-made frame as the Maingear Pulse 11, it's small with an 11.6-inch screen but still fits as much as a quad 2.1GHz Core i7 courtesy of Intel's low-power Ivy Bridge architecture. Likewise, it carries a new GeForce GT 650M that gives it mid-level gaming.
In the EON11-S framing, the ultraportable is thick at 1.4 inches and weighs 3.9 pounds, making it light for a gaming notebook but heavy for an 11-inch system. Outside of the processor, it can carry up to 16GB of RAM as well as either a 1TB spinning hard drive, a 512GB solid-state drive, or a 500GB hybrid rotating/SSD drive. NVIDIA's Optimus live graphics switching should net it up to 6.5 hours of battery life if it sits primarily on Intel's video, although Ivy Bridge improves the visual performance there as well.
Expansion brings two USB 3.0 ports, a lone USB 2.0 port, Ethernet, and both HDMI and VGA for video out. Optical drives and a TV tuner are external-only options, although a nine-in-one Memory Stick/SD card reader is kept internal.
Prices start off at $999, although this starts off with a dual-core 2.2GHz Pentium, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB conventional hard drive. Those who want the quad-core processor will need to pay at least $1,294. Orders placed today should start shipping May 30.
