If you're in the gaming laptop market, you've probably heard of the mainstays: MSI, Asus' Republic of Gamers, Acer's Predator, Gigabyte, Aorus and more. But in our forums, user amadeok asked about Clevo.
"Are [Clevo laptops] good quality?" amadeok asked. "Do their components fail often?"
To answer that question, let's talk about what Clevo is. While the company does make laptops that it sells to the public, it's better-known for selling bare-bones chassis to other companies that they use to build and brand their own machines. You may see Clevo designs from boutique brands like Sager, Origin PC and Falcon Northwest, and occasionally even from bigger name brands.
So when you ask if a Clevo is good, it raises the question as to who's actually selling you the machine. Because it could be from lots and lots of different gaming brands that use Clevo designs.
MORE: The Best PC Games to Play Right Now
We don't have the performance stats for Clevo's parts, so it's hard to say whether they're more or less reliable than other makers' components. But the company doesn't have a reputation for presenting any more issues than anyone else.
In fact, in terms of design, we've seen mixed results from Clevo, just like with any other company. For example, the PowerSpec 1510, a 15-inch notebook sold by Micro Center, is a Clevo. The chassis isn't beautiful, but it does the job, and while the keyboard is squarely average, the display was extremely vibrant. This machine is priced affordably, and we gave it our Editors' Choice.
The 17-inch model in that line, the PowerSpec 1710, used a different chassis, and while it still had a great display, the keyboard was uncomfortable and the audio quality was poor.
In other words, with Clevo laptops, whether sold directly or through another brand name, you just have to do your research, just like with any other company.
Another thing to keep in mind is who's selling you the machine and what their warranty policy is. For many buyers, Micro Center, or something like it, means a local, brick-and-mortar store that offers the same one-year warranty as many other companies. If you buy from an online store, like Falcon Northwest, you can pay extra to get a longer warranty than the 1-year standard.
But there's no reason to avoid Clevo if you're looking for a lower-budget machine or something custom. But when you do look into this company, consider all of the brands that sell Clevos and find the one with the best service, warranty and support in case anything goes wrong. Then, do your research like you would for any other gaming brand.
