Machenike F117 gaming laptop with Intel Core i7-11800H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060: greetings from China

The relatively young Chinese brand Machenike specializes in the production of gaming laptops, as well as related peripherals – backpacks, headphones, computer mice and other accessories. The company’s products are not only widely represented on the AliExpress electronic trading platform (the company’s representatives pay attention to the fact that Russia has a warehouse of finished products, so delivery should not take much time), but is also quite affordable from large Russian retailers. The main (but not the only) advantage of Machenike gaming laptops is their low cost, which allows you to save up to 40% compared to products from more famous brands.

 

 

 

 

In today’s article, we will get acquainted with the Machenike F117 (F117-7Plus) model, which is based on an eight-core Intel Core i7-11800H processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU with a thermal package increased to 110 watts.

⇡#Box and accessories

Machenike F117 comes in two boxes: an outer box made of regular cardboard, and an inner box, colored in the same style as the outer box.

Together with polyethylene foam inserts that tightly fix the laptop, these boxes reliably protect it even from falls from a small height, not to mention the hardships of courier or postal delivery. So in this regard, you should not worry about the safety of the Machenike F117.

In addition to the laptop, in the box you can find a power adapter with two power cables (Russian and European plugs), stickers with a Russian layout for the keyboard, instructions and a bag with a screw for mounting the drive in the M.2 connector.

The Machenike F117 is assembled in China and comes with a two year warranty. The cost of a laptop will depend on its configuration, in which only the amount of RAM (16 or 32 GB) and drives (SSD 512 GB or SSD 512 GB + HDD 1 or 2 TB) can change. At the time of writing, the minimum price of the version with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of SSD was $ 1,200, and the cost of our version, which also added a 1 TB HDD, is about $ 150 higher.

⇡#Specifications

⇡#Hull design and ergonomics

The design of the Machenike F117 is very similar to the recently tested Thunderobot 911 Plus, which, in general, is not surprising. Of course, they have many differences, but the general similarity is still impossible not to recognize.

The screen cover and the working panel of the laptop case are made of aluminum, and the base is plastic, like the Thunderobot 911 Plus.

We note right away that there are no fingerprints left on the metal panels, and this allows the laptop to maintain its perfect appearance for longer. The dimensions of the Machenike F117 are 398 × 264 × 30 mm (front thickness is only 18 mm), and its weight is 2675 grams.

On the base of the laptop case there is an information sticker with markings and barcodes.

The laptop case is supported by triangular rubber feet. They also raise the body above the work surface by 3 mm.

On the tapering front end of the case, there is a barely noticeable notch for the fingers to open the panel with the screen, but it is so tiny that it does not make this procedure more convenient.

By the way, the screen still opens without holding the base with the second hand, but the base is barely kept from synchronous lifting.

Behind and on the sides of the laptop case, there are ventilation grilles for the cooling system, through which copper radiators are visible.

All the ports and connectors available to the Machenike F117 are also located here.

The back of the laptop has a power connector, HDMI 2.0 and Mini DP 1.4 video outputs, as well as a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Thunderbolt 4 interface with reverse charging support. In turn, on the sides there are USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A and USB 2.0 ports, two “mini-jacks” for headphones and a microphone, a microSD card reader, another USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port and an 8P8C power outlet.

Also on the case, we note two grids of laptop audio speakers. We will demonstrate them further when disassembling.

The opening angle of the screen is 130-135 degrees.

The quality of materials and assembly of the Machenike F117 does not cause any complaints. There is absolutely no feeling that they saved on something in it. At the same time, you need to understand that the laptop does not claim to be a premium segment, so looking for some signs of a premium product in it is not an art.

⇡#Input Devices

The Machenike F117 keyboard is a complete copy of the Thunderobot 911 Plus keyboard already mentioned today. The layout is only English, for Russian there is a set of stickers included with the laptop.

The keys are pressed softly (stroke – 1.4 mm) and almost silently. The dimensions of the main keys are 14 × 14 mm, and the functional keys are 12.5 × 9 mm. In principle, this is a normal size for a laptop.

The keyboard is equipped with a four-level backlight, which is configured in the corresponding subsection of the Control Center utility. Here you can also choose one of the sixteen available backlight colors.

Next, we will give some examples of keyboard backlighting at the maximum brightness level.

Unlike the keyboard, the Machenike F117’s touchpad is fundamentally different from the Thunderobot 911 Plus’s. The keys are hidden under its surface, which is tactilely much more pleasant and sensitive, but the main thing is that the touchpad dimensions here are 151 × 91 mm versus 110 × 63 mm for the 911 Plus.

Therefore, it is not surprising that it is much more convenient to work with it than with the Thunderobot touchpad.

A 720p (30 FPS) webcam is built into the top bezel of the display, next to it is an activity indicator and two microphones.

The laptop power button is located in the upper right corner of the operating panel; a thin white LED indicator is built into it.

Here, in contrast to the LED of the Thunderobot 911 Plus button, it does not blind or irritate. Accidental pressing of the button is excluded, since it is rather tight.

⇡#Display

The screen in Machenike F117 has a diagonal of 17.3 inches, the width of the side frames is 6.5 mm, the top one is 11.5 mm and the bottom one is 20 mm.

⇡#Laptop screen photo Machenike F117

It uses a matte IPS-matrix with a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels and a maximum refresh rate of 165 Hz (40 Hz mode is also available).

Claimed coverage of the color space 100% sRGB.

We tested the laptop display with X-Rite i1 Display Pro and Argyll CMS software with DispcalGUI GUI. All measurements were taken without additional display calibration. Here are the measurement results.

The color temperature of the display needs to be corrected, as it falls just below the 6000 K border with a reference value of 6500 K.

The gamma curve is also far from ideal.

But with the color balance in the gray gradient, things are much better.

Display calibration (profile attached) eliminated almost all of its shortcomings – the average level of DeltaE deviations was only fifteen hundredths of a unit, and the coverage of the sRGB color space exceeded 100%.

In terms of maximum display brightness, the Machenike F117 is barely inferior to the more expensive Thunderobot Zero model and clearly outperforms the Thunderobot 911 Plus.

However, the uniformity of the matrix illumination in this model leaves much to be desired.

In general, the screen quality of the Machenike F117 is at a high level, even though it requires additional calibration.

⇡#Internal device and accessories

In terms of hardware configuration, the Machenike F117 largely repeats the Thunderobot 911 Plus, but there are still differences. In Machenike, attention is drawn to a larger cooling system, a 2.5-inch hard drive and a more capacious battery.

It is immediately clear that the internal volume of the Machenike case is used more efficiently.

The laptop motherboard is based on the Intel Tiger Lake-H chipset (Intel HM570).

The BIOS is dated June 4, 2021 and no updates have been found at the time of writing.

If the Thunderobot 911 Plus has a choice of a six-core Intel Core i5-11260H or an eight-core Intel Core i7-11800H, then the Machenike F117 has only an eight-core processor.

Recall that it can automatically overclock to 4.6 GHz and has a 24 MB L3 cache. According to Intel specifications, the thermal package of this processor model is limited to 45 watts, but in practice this limit is pushed back by another 100%.

Machenike F117 is equipped with 16GB or 32GB DDR4 RAM. In each of the options there will be two modules operating in dual-channel mode. In the configuration provided to us for testing, the memory is filled with Samsung modules with a capacity of 8 GB each, marked S02QA2012241E1AE79.

The modules operate at an effective frequency of 3.2 GHz with timings of 22-22-22-52 CR1 (just like Thunderobot 911 Plus).

So it’s no surprise that the Machenike’s memory bandwidth and latency are the same as its sister laptop Thunderobot.

Apparently, we will not wait for modules with low latency in gaming laptops.

As for the graphics cores, there are almost no differences: in 2D modes, the laptop runs on the Intel UHD graphics core built into the central processor, and in games, the discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is activated.

The word “almost” was used for good reason, since Machenike has a graphics card TDP of 110 watts versus 105 watts for Thunderobot. The difference, of course, is small, but it can be taken into account. We add that the discrete graphics card operates at frequencies of 1425/14000 MHz and is equipped with six gigabytes of GDDR6 video memory. In addition to information about the laptop’s graphics, here are the results of the GPGPU test from AIDA64 Extreme.

In terms of drives, the capabilities of the Machenike F117 can be called sufficient. The laptop comes with only one 512 GB SSD. Our version is equipped with an M.2 2280 NVMe drive with PCIe 4.0 x4 interface model SSSTC CA6-8D512.

Its claimed specifications look very promising: sequential read speeds can reach 6800 Mbps, write speeds up to 4800 Mbps, and a claimed MTBF of at least two million hours.

True, according to the tests of several utilities, the real performance of the solid-state drive turned out to be much more modest. Then you can compare the received data with the declared ones (in two modes of operation of the laptop).

At the same time, we can note that the performance of the SSD when the laptop is powered from the battery decreases non-critically, and its temperature regime, tested in the AIDA64 Extreme stress test, did not exceed 50 degrees Celsius.

In addition, the Machenike F117 provides another slot for an SSD with a PCIe interface, which is good news.

Also, the laptop can be supplied with a hard drive with a capacity of one (as in our case) or two terabytes.

Despite the fact that the WDC WD10SPZX-22Z10T1 is a terribly slow model, it is quite suitable for data storage.

Machenike F117 is equipped with two network adapters: the Intel I219-V gigabit is responsible for wired connections, and the Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201NGW communication module is responsible for wireless connections.

The laptop’s audio subsystem consists of the Realtek ALC256 codec and two small stereo speakers built into the sides of the chassis base.

Let’s just say that the sound in a laptop is mediocre by today’s standards. It just is, and there is nothing to add here. For gamers, we would recommend using stereo headphones with the Machenike F117.

⇡#Cooling system, efficiency and noise level

Cold air enters the Machenike F117 cooling system from the bottom through the ventilation grill, and the heated air is thrown back and along the sides of the case.

As with most gaming laptops, two independent circuits are implemented in the cooling system: the left one cools the graphics controller, and the right one cools the central processor.

Moreover, three 6-mm heat pipes are allotted for cooling the GPU at once (one of them still goes to the CPU heat spreader), and the central processor – one 6-mm and one 8-mm heat pipe. They transfer the heat flow to copper radiators, which are cooled by two fans.

The relationship between Machenike and Thunderobot can be traced in the software as well. So, for example, the Control Center utility is exactly the same here, it has four modes of operation with speaking names.

The utility also has a separate tab for controlling fan speeds, which can be configured independently of each other.

We used the powerMAX stress test in AVX mode to evaluate the efficiency of CPU cooling in a laptop. The HWiNFO64 utility version 7.20.4700 was responsible for monitoring all indicators. Testing was conducted under the operating system Windows 10 Pro x64 with the latest available drivers and updates. The ambient temperature in the room during the tests was 24.5 degrees Celsius. Let’s look at the stress test results.

Not surprisingly, the Machenike and Thunderobot laptops’ identical hardware configurations and identical software resulted in very similar stress test results. Only the Power mode of the Machenike F117 produces more gigahertz and degrees Celsius with watts, and the three remaining settings modes practically repeat the results of the Thunderobot 911 Plus. Of course, the Power mode is the noisiest, but Entertainment is not far behind in this regard. You can comfortably work on a laptop only in the remaining two settings, however, the performance of the central processor in these cases will be limited to 2.3 GHz in Power Save and a modest 1.2 GHz in Quiet.

In addition, we tried to test the Machenike F117 in the maximum fan speed mode, obtaining the following results.

As you can see, the cooling efficiency of the laptop’s central processor has not increased: its processor in a stress load still runs at the same 3.3 GHz at 96 degrees Celsius (throttling is fixed) and 65 watts. So it makes no sense to unscrew the fans to the maximum, if there is no goal to scare someone with an excessive noise level.

When the Machenike F117 is running offline from the battery, its main indicators are more modest.

The processor operates at a frequency of 2.0 GHz at a temperature of 54 degrees Celsius and a heat dissipation not exceeding 25 watts. The noise level of the laptop in this mode is very low.

Stress testing of the discrete graphics card NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU of the laptop was carried out using twenty cycles of the most resource-intensive scene of the Fire Strike Extreme benchmark from the 3DMark test suite.

Machenike specialists did not deceive – in the maximum performance mode, the video card operates at a heat dissipation of more than 110 watts at a frequency of 1.6 GHz, which is slightly higher than the same video card in Thunderobot 911 Plus (105 watts and 1.55 GHz). This should give the F117 a slight edge in individual games and benchmarks. The price for this is a high noise level. The other three operating modes of the laptop are hardly different from those of the 911 Plus. True, only Entertainment can be attributed to gaming ones, since the two remaining settings are aimed at silence and minimal power consumption.

It turned out to be pointless to unscrew the fans to maximum speed even if the video card is cooled.

It is clearly seen that the result is the same as in the normal Power mode. Well, without power from the mains, a gaming laptop can only seem like one, but not be, which the following monitoring graph will clearly demonstrate to us.

However, this is far from news for any laptops with high-performance discrete graphics cards.

⇡#Performance testing

 

 

 

 

The performance of the Machenike F117 laptop in predominantly CPU benchmarks was compared to the performance of Thunderobot 911 Plus laptops (equipped with the same Intel Core i7-11800H processor) and Huawei MateBook 16 (Crem-WFD9, equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor). All laptops were tested in maximum performance mode when running from a power adapter connected to the mains. The results obtained are shown in the table below.

* As of 02/24/2022.

The performance of Machenike and Thunderobot differs slightly – in some benchmarks, the hero of today’s article is faster, and in some, the previously tested 911 Plus wins. When it comes to comparing the Intel Core i7-11800H to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, apart from 3D tests, Intel still has the upper hand, although AMD’s octa-core does not look like a whipping boy at all.

We measured the performance of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU of the Machenike F117 laptop with the performance of the same graphics card in the Thunderobot 911 Plus and the faster NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU of the Thunderobot Zero laptop. Before presenting these results, let us recall that the video card in Machenike has a TDP of 110 watts versus 105 watts of the same video card in the Thunderobot 911 Plus. All games have been tested at maximum quality settings with DLSS enabled (where possible) but without using any other anti-aliasing techniques. The results obtained are shown in the table below.

As you can see, the level of gaming performance of the Machenike F117 largely repeats the 3D performance of the Thunderobot 911 Plus, and the additional five watts of the thermal package helped it only in synthetic benchmarks and individual games. Thunderrobot Zero looks predictably faster. We also note that the Machenike F117 handles the vast majority of games at 2560 × 1440 pixels, except that Cyberpunk 2077 and Watch Dogs: Legion drop out of this list.

⇡#Autonomous

The Machenike F117 has a removable lithium-ion battery labeled NH50BAT-4 with a claimed capacity of 49 Wh (3175 mAh).

According to BatteryMon and AIDA64 Extreme, the actual battery capacity when fully charged was only 45.8 Wh, which is 6.5% lower than the rating (we observed a similar discrepancy in Thunderobot 911 Plus).

The laptop comes with a Chicony A17-180P4A power adapter with a maximum power of 180 W (19.5 V, 9.23 A) and a weight of 505 grams.

With this adapter, in the course of various tests, the Machenike F117 was completely discharged and charged at least six times, and the average charge time was 1 hour 31 minutes. During the charging process, the adapter practically does not heat up.

We tested the autonomy of the laptop with the display brightness fixed at 200 cd/m² using the PCMark’10 package in four modes. Network connections and sound did not turn off. Also, no artificial optimizations were introduced, except for the laptop automatically switching the display to 40 Hz instead of 165 Hz. The results are shown in the screenshots below.

The maximum that the owner of the Machenike F117 can count on is three hours of battery life when watching videos or working with office applications. For a gaming laptop, this is pretty standard battery life.

⇡#Conclusion

Notebook Machenike F117 – another representative of the Chinese industry, offering the user the best combination of hardware components and moderate cost. In games, with rare exceptions, this model is able to provide a comfortable level of performance even at a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels at maximum quality settings. This is achieved thanks to a discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU with a thermal package increased to 110 watts and an eight-core Intel Core i7-11800H processor. The laptop memory can be 16 or 32 GB, and in terms of drives, the F117 is more variable than its direct competitor in the face of the Thunderobot 911 Plus.

Definitely better at Machenike and a bright 17-inch display, which after calibration can be as close as possible to the ideal gaming screen. There are no questions about a comfortable keyboard with a block of numeric keys and customizable backlighting, network interfaces and a set of laptop ports, and a huge and responsive touchpad deserves special praise. In the bottom line, the only drawbacks of the F117 include an inexpressive sound and a high level of noise during stressful loads, and in general, this model seems to us more attractive and holistic than the previously tested Thunderobot 911 Plus.

FAQ Machenike f117

What is the screen size of the Machenike F117-7 gaming notebook?

The Machenike F117-7 gaming notebook features a 15.6-inch screen.

Can the Machenike F117-7 Plus be purchased from the Machenike official store?

Yes, the Machenike F117-7 Plus is available for purchase at the Machenike official store.

Is the Machenike series compatible with the 11th Gen Intel processor drivers?

Yes, the Machenike series laptops are compatible with 11th Gen Intel processor drivers.

Are replacement batteries available for the Machenike F117-7?

Yes, replacement batteries for the Machenike F117-7 are available and can be found under the laptop replacement parts category.

How do customers rate the Machenike F117-7 gaming notebook?

Customer reviews for the Machenike F117-7 gaming notebook generally reflect satisfaction, emphasizing its premium quality and performance.

Does the Machenike F117-7 come with Intel® Chipset Software and Drivers?

Yes, the Machenike F117-7 comes equipped with Intel® Chipset Software and Drivers.

If I find a lower price for the Machenike F117-7 after purchase, can I get a refund?

If a lower price is found within 30 days of purchase, customers can contact the store for a potential refund or price adjustment, subject to the store’s refund policy.

What type of graphics card is included in the Machenike F117-7Plus with an 11th Gen Intel processor?

The Machenike F117-7Plus with an 11th Gen Intel processor typically includes an RTX3050Ti or GTX series graphics card.

What is the voltage and amp specification of the lithium-ion battery in the Machenike F117-7?

The lithium-ion battery in the Machenike F117-7 typically has a voltage and amp specification that aligns with the model’s power requirements, as detailed in the product description.

Does the Machenike F117-7 include VGA drivers and two USB ports?

Yes, the Machenike F117-7 includes VGA drivers and comes with two USB ports as part of its standard spec.

What is the shipping cost for the 15.6-inch Gen 11 Intel gaming laptop?

The shipping costs for the 15.6-inch Gen 11 Intel gaming laptop vary based on the delivery location and shipping method chosen.

Can I use my credit card to purchase the L17 Gen gaming laptop?

Yes, you can use a credit card to purchase the L17 Gen gaming laptop.

What is the model number of the 15.6-inch gaming laptop with Gen 11 Intel processor?

The model number for the 15.6-inch gaming laptop with a Gen 11 Intel processor can be found in the product information section on the retailer’s website.

Does the Gen 11 gaming model come with standard 8GB RAM?

Yes, the Gen 11 gaming model typically comes with standard 8GB RAM.

Is there a full refund policy for the Gen 11 Intel gaming laptop if returned within 48 hours?

Most retailers offer a full refund for the Gen 11 Intel gaming laptop if it is returned in its original condition within 48 hours of purchase, but it’s best to check the specific policy of the retailer.

Where can I find the Intel® Serial IO driver for my Gen 11 processor gaming laptop?

The Intel® Serial IO driver for Gen 11 processor gaming laptops can be downloaded from the Intel® website or through the laptop’s brand name support page.

How can I contact customer service for questions about my Gen 11 Intel gaming laptop?

You can contact customer service for inquiries about your Gen 11 Intel gaming laptop through the “Contact Us” section on the retailer’s or manufacturer’s website.

What is the part number for the lithium-ion battery in the L17 Gen gaming laptop?

The part number for the lithium-ion battery in the L17 Gen gaming laptop can be found in the product information or user manual.

Is the privacy of my information ensured when purchasing a gaming laptop with my credit card?

Yes, reputable retailers ensure the privacy and security of your information when you purchase a gaming laptop using a credit card.

Does the gaming laptop with chipset software and drivers Intel® support drivers HID event?

Yes, gaming laptops with chipset software and drivers from Intel® typically support drivers HID event.