Gigabyte P35W v5 Gaming Laptop Review

Gaming Performance

Grand Theft Auto 5

The usual testing procedure for graphically intensive games involves multiple benchmark runs at the commonly used 1920×1080 resolution and 2560×1440 for high-end usage scenarios. This is because 21:9 resolutions like 2560×1080 and 3440×1440 remain fairly niche. Furthermore, very few consumers have a 4K display and modern hardware cannot cope with advanced details while pushing so many pixels. As a result, we decided to reduce the monitor’s resolution during games to accurately compare with other systems and ensure the frame-rate was playable. In GTA V, the laptop produced a really consistent 1920×1080 experience and surpassed 60 frames-per-second. Once this was increased to 1440P, there was definitely more frame dips in intense sections but the overall performance felt extremely smooth.

Metro Last Light

Metro Last Light’s supreme texture quality and complex tessellation effects poses a challenge for many gaming laptops aiming to reach an average of 60 frames-per-second. The Gigabyte P35W v5 was incredibly close to this feat during 1920×1080 testing and outclassed the P34W v3 by a surprisingly large margin. However, I’m fairly certain the majority of this is down to driver enhancements from NVIDIA. Although, the 6GB frame buffer might have provided a boost. In terms of 2560×1440 performance, the frame-rate was just about playable but it felt slightly jarring once the action became frantic. As a result, the GTX 970M needs to be paired with a 1920×1080 screen.

Tomb Raider

Despite Tomb Raider’s gorgeous visuals, modern systems can achieve impressive numbers across a wide range of resolutions. This is a testament to the game’s optimization and marvellous scaling on different configurations. Here we can see the laptop performs wonderfully once the panel is set to 1920×1080 and defeats its nearest rival. Additionally, it’s even possible to play the game at 2560×1440 while remaining perfectly smooth.

Bioshock Infinite

The Gigabyte P35W v5 is powerful enough to play Bioshock Infinite without hitching or severe frame dips providing the resolution is scaled back to 1920×1080. Once this is increased to 2560×1440, the game is still really enjoyable but there are drops into the low 30s which might prove to be too noticeable for some users.