PC Specialist Vortex GT

Review: PC Specialist Vortex GT

Conclusion

...if you absolutely have to have the maximum amount of performance for under a thousand pounds, you'll do well to find anything significantly quicker than PC Specialist's Vortex GT.

The Vortex GT is a brute of a gaming laptop. Forgoing finesse in favour of maximum performance, it combines a quad-core Intel Haswell processor with Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M graphics and solid-state storage to deliver strong all-round performance in a stocky 15.6in frame.

Pricing is competitive at £999, however it is the emergence of thin-and-light alternatives that makes this gaming laptop seem rough around the edges. The chassis is thick and old-fashioned, the whole package weighs more than 3kg, battery life is average and the 15.6in TN panel doesn't offer the wow factor you'd expect from a high-performance machine.

Yet the sheer speed of the underlying CPU and GPU components is such that the Vortex GT remains a viable option for some. We'd be inclined to stretch the budget for a laptop that's thinner, lighter and more refined, but if you absolutely have to have the maximum amount of performance for under a thousand pounds, you'll do well to find anything significantly quicker than PC Specialist's Vortex GT.

The Good

Lots of performance for £999
Quad-core Intel Haswell processor
GTX 870M delivers high-quality gaming
8GB of RAM and SSD storage as standard
Plenty of room for end-user upgrades

The Bad

Weighs over 3kg
Middling battery life
Fan noise can be bothersome
Not the prettiest gaming laptop

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The Vortex GT gaming laptop is available to purchase from PC Specialist.

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