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  • Chillblast Defiant Gaming Laptop

       (Overall rating from this review)
    The Defiant has made mobile flight simulation a real possibility for laptop users

    This review of a gaming laptop PC is a first for me. As an avid flight simmer, I have always been fixed at my desk (which has fixed peripherals) and would sink into my aviation world assuming that only my tower PC can cope with punching the pixels out fast and smoothly. All that has changed.

    Nowadays, the best gaming laptops are powerful enough to run those games which previously we turned to our PC behemoths, or dedicated games consoles to play. This leap in performance is thanks to the use of powerful and efficient GPUs, multi-core processors and ultra-fast M.2 storage made smaller and more efficient.

    Chillblast have recently released a new hi-end range of powerful gaming laptops under the Defiant brand. When I say powerful, the range opens with an entry machine boasting an Intel Core i-7-12700H processor, RTX 3050ti GPU and a 14" screen and extends up to an Intel Core i-7-12700H, RTX 3080ti GPU, 2TB M.2 drive and a 16" screen. There are 17 variations to suit the user’s performance requirements and budget. 

    So, onto my review machine, it's the 16" version with a i7-12700H processor, RTX 3070ti 8GB GPU, 1TB M2 drive, and 32GB of DDR5 RAM (full specification below), so quite a powerhouse in its own right. It is quite bulky and reassuringly heavy at 2.5kg. The size comes in at width 31mm, length 360mm, and a height of 282mm. Windows 11 Home comes preloaded so most people would be familiar with the setup, this laptop needed several Windows updates including the big 22H2 update. Also, the Nvidia graphics driver was woefully out of date, so much so that X-Plane 12 would not install without first updating to the latest version.

    The machine comes with its own control centre where you can set the main type of use be it office, gaming, or high performance. CPU, GPU, Memory, and disk stats can also be assessed here, a noticeable change in fan speed can be heard when switching to gaming or performance mode, I left it on Gaming. Another control available via this program is the LED Control of the keyboard and trunk (LEDs highlighting the massive air vents at the back). RGB junkies should be happy with the customisation available by the presets and manually over three keyboard zones and the trunk. The backlit keyboard itself is the soft touch design with highlighted WASD keys for the gamer. 

    The screen is a matte 16" QHD IPS LED display which emits a super clear image at 2560 x 1600px and a refresh rate of 165hz, and for those interested in the luminosity it is rated at 500 Nits. The screen is surrounded by a reasonably slim bezel and has a 720px web cam and microphone embedded. This high specification ensures there are no lags in moving images.      

    The powerful Intel i7 14-core 12700H processor coupled with the M.2 1TB ensures the machine boots up in a trice, it coped easily with multi-tasking and streaming. With impressive connectivity it always has the right connector to interface thanks to a range of ports, including HDMI, USB-Type C, Display Port Mini and more. The audio comes from an onboard chip with two 2-watt speakers, the sound is clear and punchy, only made better with a quality Bluetooth headset.   
      
    Mains Power and Battery Performance
    The Defiant’s external 300-Watt mains supply enables its CPU and GPU to operate at 100% of their normal clock rates. However, when the mains cable is disconnected, and the Defiant relies on its internal battery, the CPU and GPU clock rates are reduced (under-clocked) to extend battery function. Thus, when running the simulator with complex aircraft and scenery the FPS in the high 60's was achieved with power coming from the mains supply. When using only the internal battery, the FPS reduced to below 10 a massive reduction. This clearly will not be a worry if there is power where you intend to use the Defiant. Additionally, flight simulators make higher demands on both the CPU and GPU, often requiring the internal cooling fan to be used. This fan, together with the power going to the CPU and GPU, can reduce the energy in the battery more rapidly than other, less power-hungry applications. With the flight simulator running with the same settings, you would use if plugged into the mains, you can expect the battery to last around 1 hour, more if the scenery/aircraft complexity is low. The quoted batter lifetime is up to 4.5 hours, this may be true for the office type profile.
    NB: I have included some screenshots from X-Plane 12 with the FPS data output overlay enabled. The actual FPS figures are the ones on the left, please zoom in on the screenshots to view.
    fps.jpg

    Simming on the Move
    This is clearly the main advantage of a machine like the Defiant - you can go anywhere and fly. Well, up to the limits of the battery, if you can't get mains power. This certainly meets the requirements of any simmers who want to take their flight simulator with them, be it on holiday, or simply to the living room whilst their partner watches TV, perhaps? Maybe this mobility is limited by the type of flight controls you prefer, but, in essence, you can take the laptop anywhere.

    But there are other interesting options. The pure power of the Defiant makes it a potential alternative to replacing that old desk-top with a more up-to-date model? In fact, this option has crossed my mind several times during the review, plus the fact it would take up a lot less room. I'm sure my wife would appreciate a tidier office, too!

    The concept of having a portable simming machine will be attractive to many of you, whether you need your flight sim to be with you when you're away from home, or to give you that extra bit of flexibility for simming around your house and garden. If that is the case, then the Defiant will certainly fit the bill - the 12700H and RTX 3070ti enables it to run X-Plane 12 spectacularly well and I feel sure it would do the same for MSFS and other leading flight simulators and the screen resolution is more than ample for both screenshots and videos.

    You may want to consider external controls, as flying with the laptop keyboard is not straightforward, but a small, twist-grip joystick will resolve this. You might also want to connect an external mouse, as the touchpad does take some getting used to. Lastly, you can plug in your bigger monitor or wide-screen TV via the HDMI interface to give you a simming facility as good as any top-range desk-top PC.

    So, using the touchpad and keyboard to control the sim were the only problems I faced when carrying out this review. But then, I'm not used to laptops so I'm at a disadvantage to those of you who regularly use one. However, in the few weeks that I used the Defiant, I can say that the experience has been most enjoyable, and I can recommend it to anyone who wants a small, portable simming machine.

    Review Machine - Full Specification

     Processor

    Intel i7-12700H

    Total Cores: 14

    # of Performance-cores: 6

    # of Efficient-cores: 8

    Max Turbo Frequency: 4.70 GHz

    GPU

    RTX 3070 Ti

    Memory Size: 8 GB

    Memory Type: GDDR6

    Architecture: Ampere

     Memory

    Capacity: 32 GB

    Memory Slots: 2 x SO-DIMM

    Maximum capacity: 64 GB

    Memory Type: DDR5

    Storage

    Capacity: 1 TB

    Slots: 2 x M.2 2280 PCI-E Gen 4

     Display

    Screen Size: 16-inch LED

    Resolution: 2560 x 1600 px

    Refresh Rate: 165 Hz

    Panel Type: IPS

    Brightness: 500 Nits

    Keyboard

    Keyboard Type: UK with 102 keys

    Keyboard Backlit: RGB

    Touch Pad: PTP Touch Pad with gesture support

     Comms

    Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201

    Bluetooth V5.2

    Audio

    2 x 2 W stereo speakers

    Microphone

     Battery

    Capacity: 4231 mAh - Typical Battery Lifetime - up to 4.5 Hours

    Type: Lithium-Ion

    Power adapter: 300W

    OS

    Windows 11 Home

     I/O Ports

    1x RJ45 port

    1x HDMI 2.1 port

    2x USB 2.1 Gen 1 (usb charger support)

    1x USB 3.1 Gen 2

    1x USB Type-C (USB 3.1 Gen 2) supporting DP1.4 and TBT4

    1x 3.5 mm Jack (Headphone out and Mic-in)

    1x Mini-DP 1.4

    Size and Weight

    Width: 31 mm

    Length: 360 mm

    Height: 282 mm

    Weight: 2.5 kg

     

     

     

    Visit the entire Defiant range at Chillblast online Here

    PROs:
    • Extremely fast
    • Great RGB keyboard
    CONs:
    • Fan can be noisy when under extreme load
    • Overall Rating


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Nice laptop and informative review, thanks.

    I have always used a laptop and am using the 15" Predator Helios 300 now, yes the fans are loud when gaming (Simming) but I just make believe it's engine and wind noise. I looked at Chillblast at the time but they didn't have any laptops that I could see, is this a relatively new thing for them?

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    Nice review Joe.  So much so, you have persuaded me to purchase one.  Have been looking for some time.  My present laptop, Alienware M15x, is a bit long in the tooth....12yrs.  Ok, so have updated the Drive to a 2TB SSD also increased the ram from 4GB to 8GB; maximum the MB will take.  Will be nice to have a portable machine that can run a simmulator though, P3D 4.5 in my case. 

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    I am thinking about purchasing this laptop but your review is the only one I can find. Very comprehensive about specs and performance - sounds like just what I am looking for. You do not mention build quality and whether the chassis is metal or plastic (the Chillblast website mentions both but with no indication how much of each). Is there much flex in the keyboard or screen? How good do the hinges feel?

    I have reduced my shortlist to the Chillblast Defiant and a very similar Lenovo model which has many consistently excellent reviews but is more expensive. I would prefer to buy British if possible, even if most of the internals are made in China. There is no escape from those, I know. Also, there is a very attractive Black Friday offer on the basic Defiant at the moment.

    I am a casual gamer, really, and looking to replace my much loved 9 year old Samsung that needs too much expense of time and cash to enable it to limp along in the slow lane for another year or two.

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    On 15/11/2022 at 22:06, brett said:

    Nice laptop and informative review, thanks.

    I have always used a laptop and am using the 15" Predator Helios 300 now, yes the fans are loud when gaming (Simming) but I just make believe it's engine and wind noise. I looked at Chillblast at the time but they didn't have any laptops that I could see, is this a relatively new thing for them?

    Hi Brett, you may not have been aware of Chillblast's range before as they are a UK based company, but they have been selling award winning laptops for many years.

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    18 hours ago, Alex Voy said:

    I am thinking about purchasing this laptop but your review is the only one I can find. Very comprehensive about specs and performance - sounds like just what I am looking for. You do not mention build quality and whether the chassis is metal or plastic (the Chillblast website mentions both but with no indication how much of each). Is there much flex in the keyboard or screen? How good do the hinges feel?

    I have reduced my shortlist to the Chillblast Defiant and a very similar Lenovo model which has many consistently excellent reviews but is more expensive. I would prefer to buy British, if possible, even if most of the internals are made in China. There is no escape from those, I know. Also, there is a very attractive Black Friday offer on the basic Defiant at the moment.

    I am a casual gamer, really, and looking to replace my much loved 9 year old Samsung that needs too much expense of time and cash to enable it to limp along in the slow lane for another year or two.

    Hi Alex, thanks for your feedback. I can assure you the build quality is every bit as good as any Dell, HP or Lenovo laptop - and I've used all three. I wouldn't be surprised if the internals come from the same factory as the others.

    The question about the case is difficult to answer now as the machine has been returned but I am pretty sure it was metal around the keyboard and touchpad as well as the lid. The underside is high grade molded plastic. Chillblast have a free 30-minute video consultation service so why not ask them face to face? Video consultation service 

    Another thing I didn't mention in the review is that Chillblast offer excellent customer service and more awards than any other UK custom PC manufacturer. And you are right they have Black Friday deals on their mainstream Defiant models.

    Hope that helps.

    Joe

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    On 16/11/2022 at 01:03, dogtrack said:

    Nice review Joe.  So much so, you have persuaded me to purchase one.  Have been looking for some time.  My present laptop, Alienware M15x, is a bit long in the tooth....12yrs.  Ok, so have updated the Drive to a 2TB SSD also increased the ram from 4GB to 8GB; maximum the MB will take.  Will be nice to have a portable machine that can run a simmulator though, P3D 4.5 in my case. 

    Hi Arnie, thanks for your feedback, I am sure if you are in the market then the Defiant would be a great choice, do check around like Alex did but this one should defiantly on your short-list ;)

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    Hi Mutley, Thank you for your prompt response to my previous comment. The chassis metal/plastic configuration you describe is exactly what is on my old Samsung and is fine. 
     

    Tnanks to your recommendation, I am now considerably poorer, having just snapped up the last remaining sale offer Defiant. There will probably be an even better deal for something suitable over the next week or two, but that is just Sod’s Law. If the Defiant is as good as I am hoping, I am more than happy with the deal. Thanks again for your help.

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    On 17/11/2022 at 18:35, Alex Voy said:

    Hi Mutley, Thank you for your prompt response to my previous comment. The chassis metal/plastic configuration you describe is exactly what is on my old Samsung and is fine. 
     

    Tnanks to your recommendation, I am now considerably poorer, having just snapped up the last remaining sale offer Defiant. There will probably be an even better deal for something suitable over the next week or two, but that is just Sod’s Law. If the Defiant is as good as I am hoping, I am more than happy with the deal. Thanks again for your help.

    Great news Alex, I hope it serves you well.

     

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    Just adding a bit more information that may help other potential purchasers now that I have my new Defiant.
     

    As Mutley stated, the build quality is excellent with very little flex anywhere. The entire case (including underneath) appears to be metal so not sure where the plastic comes in unless it is the keys. The (metal) keyboard is comfortable to use although I think the clicks on the pad could be a little more defined. Personal preference. They work OK and I invariably use a mouse, anyway. The pad itself feels fine.

     

    My only gripe so far is the poor volume on the speakers. Maybe I just need to delve deeper into the settings but even maxed out on volume control they are certainly never going to disturb the neighbours. Many decibels below my old laptop. 
     

    I am very happy with my purchase so far. I feel it is good value even at the regular price, specced with the latest cpu, ram and ssd.  My basic model has a slightly older gpu that I understand runs recent games just fine  which is enough for me. The only upgrade I am planning is to add a second ssd in the near future. Thanks to the sale price, this will work out a lot cheaper than buying a Defiant with larger ssd already installed. Overall, I am very pleased with it so far.

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