Lafité III Laptop Review

This is a review of the new Lafité III laptop that I ordered from PC Specialist, and which arrived about a week ago.

After shopping for laptops on the internet, and not finding what I wanted, I realized I had fairly specific requirements for my new machine. I work from home, and my laptop is the lifeline to my business. I needed something fast, reliable, and light enough to be extremely portable, be powerful enough to handle any and all multitasking that I needed to do, and finally, also be tough enough to withstand days of travel at a time. Truth be told, I was always impressed with the MacBooks, which feature a small, portable and premium quality aluminum chassis, with some decent specs under the hood. But what always put me off was the Mac OS, the fact that the specs are no longer so impressive, and not wanting to be tied down to the whole Mac ecosystem thing. A similar quality Windows PC with some decent power inside was looking like it would be well over a thousand Euros, and of course I was therefore eying some gaming PC's which were on sale for a similar price to the Lafité III, but came with some over-the-top specs that I will never use, and aren't nearly as portable as I'd like.

On a whim I decided to check out PC Specialist. The website was easy to navigate and it became apparent that all I needed to do was find the right chassis for my needs, and fill it up to the exact specifications I required. It was a pleasure to be involved in the process of designing my new laptop, and after doing some research, I settled on the specs below:

Lafité Series: Aluminium Chassis: 13.3" Matte Full HD IPS LED (1920 x 1080)
Intel® CoreTM i7 Dual Core Processor i7-7500U (2.70GHz, 3.5GHz Turbo)
8GB Corsair 2133MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB)
INTEL® HD GRAPHICS 620 - 1.7GB Max DDR4 Video RAM - DirectX® 12
250GB Samsung 850 2.5" EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
1 x Lafité Series 40W AC Adaptor
2 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf European Power Cable
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-8265 M.2 (867Mbps, 802.11AC) +BT 4.0
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Lafité Series 3 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (36WH)
LAFITÉ SERIES SINGLE COLOUR BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED

I had originally intended to run Windows on the machine, but ultimately decided to make the switch to Linux while I waited for the order to arrive. When the laptop did arrive, It came with a test version of Windows pre-installed. I simply inserted the bootable USB, and had the laptop re-partitioned, Windows deleted, and a fresh version of Linux whizzing along without any installation issues whatsoever after only about 15 minutes time.

The power button is no longer on the keyboard as it was with the Lafité II design. It is now integrated on the left hand side panel in between the USB slot and the mic/headphone jacks. It is not in the way at all. The chassis is light, elegant and unassuming. Lightly brushed aluminum metal in a silver finish, with no branding whatsoever. I like that. The keyboard, on which I'm currently writing this review, though not premium, is of good quality, and easy enough to use. It has adjustable backlighting (an essential), and does not impede your work flow. Being able to design it to your own specs means that it's simply a fast, lean, and highly portable machine.

In the end, I'm satisfied with the purchase and enjoyed the experience of designing my own laptop. I got exactly what I needed, for about half the price of an almost similar OEM machine, and I'd expect this laptop to avoid redundancy and last for at least a few years. The Lafité III is a good quality buy, a highly recommended portable laptop, and definitely a Mac killer.

Did you by chance own the Lafite II? I'm intrigued by the III for when I want to upgrade, but I find the Lafite II chassis marks/scratches easily (but that's why we have stickers) and I wondered if the III felt like it had a better build quality?

I also find some of the design decisions odd - it must be a thicker laptop due to the inclusion of Ethernet ports etc and the move away from a single-piece trackpad seems strange (I've never had an issue with mine although I know some people have). I love the fact that it has full-size arrow and function keys though - that's a definite plus! It still has giant bezels, but then so does the MacBook Air.

Thanks for the review and the pics!

Just for reference you know you can install Windows onto a Mac I ran one for a few years like that.

Apple provide the necessary drivers.

Same with Linux except Apple don't supply the drivers (or at least didn't back then).

Sounds like a nice machine. Thanks for the review.

I didn't own the Lafité II, I had just been going on the comments of those that had reviewed the laptop; which I came across while I was researching this model. Most of those people mentioned the power button on the keyboard, and the trackpad being off-putting on the Lafité II. The Lafité III model has moved the power button to a more inconspicuous location, and the trackpad, although not a single-piece as you mentioned, feels solid and responsive, I haven't had any complaints about it so far. It feels responsive and smooth, while a simple move and tap seems to work fine all the time.

Actually the laptop is extremely thin. It's 17.8mm thin whereas the comparable MacBook is about 14mm. Not much of a difference there. Both weigh in at about 1.3kg and are quite comparable in terms of portability. This is exactly what I liked about the MacBook, the lightweight, paper thin chassis; which is ideal for working while traveling. I don't care for the Apple ecosystem however, and would rather not be involved in any of that. So, in that respect, the Lafité III was the perfect solution. While it does have an ethernet port, they've managed to come up with an ingenious little solution by having an adjustable bottom piece to receive the plug. It opens when a plug is inserted, and closes so as to not compromise the thinness of the laptop when it's not being used. To allow for clearance, and to help with cooling (I assume), the laptop is raised up by the rubber supports underneath. This allows it to receive an ethernet plug while still being technically too thin to receive an ethernet plug if you get my meaning. The arrow keys are full-sized while the function keys are practically full-sized {slightly smaller), and yes, it does have a giant bezel, though I haven't found it distracting at all, though I admit that it would certainly be nice to fill up some of that space with some more screen.

The 1920x1080 resolution screen really is quite nice. Not exactly retina nice, but Linux just shines on it. Video can be seen on it from all angles, and colors are crisp and vibrant. Blacks are strong and it picks up subtle variations in shadow nicely. It's quite fast too. My specs aren't that impressive: core i7, 8gb ram, 250gb ssd, but without windows, it's too fast for the linux os splash screen which just flickers for a nanoecond before hitting the login screen in no more than 15 seconds from a cold start. When I'm in full work mode, with my browser multi-tabbed, and my spreadsheets and office files spread out across multiple desktops, while using the softphone and with email client, calendar, agenda etc lurking in the background, there is never any flicker, lag, or slowdown whatsoever. This isn't comparable to running a fully modern game on it, I admit, but I didn't buy it for gaming, so I can't comment on that. The audio is quite decent, clear and loud, but as is typical in most laptops, there's just no bass to be had. Best to buy a proper bluetooth speaker for listening to music imho.

I had heard that some people had trouble getting linux on to the Lafité II, some driver issues etc. But for this model, my distro went as smooth as silk. A quick 15 minute install and everything worked out of the box, there was no tweaking needed. Of course other distros may have other mileage. Mine is downstream from Ubuntu. I had seriously considered putting linux on a Mac before I saw this machine. I'm glad I went this way though. Everything has been effortless, the process in choosing the components was fun, construction and delivery went like clockwork, and doing work on this laptop has just been a breeze. Not to mention how much I appreciate carrying it around. I'm heading up to the Alps next weekend for a working holiday. I'm looking forward to the lighter load, the backlit keyboard for night work, and spending the extra money I saved in not buying a Mac!

Hi Aristotle, would you mind telling us how the wifi is with the Lafite iii? I have the Lafite ii and it had serious difficulty connecting unless right next to the router. Bought a new wifi card, and that has improved the situation a bit, but still seems less good than friends' computers. I think the aeriel must be a bit inadequate? However, otherwise I love it in every way and I need a new laptop for work -- if Lafite iii has fixed this issue I'll get it like a shot.

Hi Aristotle,

Do you know if the base is removable for upgrades in the future?
Also, like bonacieux, I'm interested in the wifi performance too? What's the range like on it?

I think you can unscrew the bottom cover for upgrades, up to 32gb Ram, 2 hard drives, and whatever processor you need. If you max it out, it could be a beast. Build quality is also quite decent, not quite Apple decent, but not too plastic either, so definitely better than HP or Asus. Wi-Fi has actually been an issue for me where I currently am. My last laptop needed a Windows registry tweak to even recognize the channel that the router is running on. Then, the signal was so weak that it consistently faded in and out. I frequently need to bring my phone closer to the router to stay connected as well. But, with this laptop, I was up and running instantly. Furthermore, it seems to work fine with no moving around to catch the signal. With my small HD size, one of the first things I did after this laptop arrived was back to promptly up all my personal files to the cloud. I uploaded gb's of data at a time on a weak connection with no issues, and no tweaking Linux at all to do it. So, from my experience, I'd have to say the Wi-Fi has been quite serviceable and I really have nothing negative to say about it. Hope that helps.

According to the detailed spec it only has one HDD/SSD slot, so the only upgrade of drives would be a bigger HDD/SSD or and m2. It will take up to 32GB RAM but like most laptops you will probably find the CPU is soldered to the Mobo and not upgradeable.

Glad you are liking the machine Aristotle and nice to see another 'nix user on here, I have put various distros on all three of my PCS laptops and will be getting a desk top from them sometime soon.

I'm very close to buying one of these and will also be looking to put Linux on it instead of paying for Windows. The only thing I am concerned about is the screen in regards to backlight bleed. How are you finding it?

Thanks for the technical clarifications Stephen. It really is a nice machine and I'm quite enjoying using Linux as my full time os now. I had been meaning to make the switch if Win10 didn't work out for me, but I just first wanted to try it out in a work context. I started by migrating to using only apps that I knew would be available for Linux. And after a while, I came to realize that I didn't really need Windows and could do everything I had to do elsewhere. When I decided to buy this laptop, it seemed the perfect time to upgrade the os too! As for the screen, it's an LED, and I do notice some leaking light in the bottom right corner, specifically on the black screen upon boot. I don't notice any discolorations or degradation when I'm using it however.

@Aristotle, thanks a lot for your review. On my search for a suitable new Ultrabook I almost gave up before I discovered the 13.3" Lafité III and your posting. I too intend to use it with Linux (most likely Manjaro Gnome) exclusively. I think I'm going to order it with 1 x 16 GB RAM and no SATA/M.2 SSD to install a second 16GB SODIMM and M.2 SSD myself.

What puzzles me is, that there seems to be either an error in the product description or the product pictures, because the product description specifically says "3 x USB 3.0" however the product pictures show 2 x USB 3.1 and 1 x USB-C 3.1. Can you clarify?

Also there is a SIM-slot visible on the left side. Is that one operational or can a 4G module be installed?

Does your Linux distribution of choice correctly support all hardware components?

Does the Lafité III support hard disk / SDD (SATA and/or M.2) hardware-encryption? Can you find anything about that in the BIOS?

Does the Lafité III support any faster DDR4 SODIMM than 2133MHz as well? I mean, can it make use of 2400MHz or 2666MHz?

Master One said:

OK, that's strange, I have posted a reply yesterday that doesn't show up here now (lost when queued for forum admin approval?).

Click to expand...

Sometimes they get missed by us mods (most of the mods are volunteers so do this in our free time). It's visible now

Rakk said:

Sometimes they get missed by us mods (most of the mods are volunteers so do this in our free time). It's visible now

Click to expand...

OK, no problem, I have just deleted the double post because the content was mostly identical to my other posting.

@Aristotle, another question:

What's the average battery runtime with your Linux distribution of choice?

Unfortunately, I don't think I'd be all that helpful with the more technical questions you have. My ram is the typical 2133 MHz, and for what I do, it's quite quick. Of course other needs would have other requirements. There are indeed two USB slots, one on each side, and a USB C slot on the right side as well. I haven't ever used a sim card in it. I've had no hardware or driver issues whatsoever, but admittedly, I also haven't pushed it either. I noticed my bluetooth didn't pick up my phone recently, but I did a quick workaround and didn't delve into the bluetooth issue any further as of yet. I suspect an os tweak should do the trick. Other than that, everything has just worked for me right from the start. But again, it's simply a highly portable workstation where I can do all my business tasks while being totally mobile at the same time. And for this, it's been perfect. No Wi-Fi issues, softphone works every time, etc.

I checked the BIOS, and I saw nothing about hardware encryption there. Maybe someone else can offer more expert knowledge on this.

Finally, I'm typically getting about 4-5 hrs of battery life, but I try to keep it between 20% and 80% as much as possible. I suspect 6 hrs from 100% to forced sleep would be just about right.

Sorry I don't know enough to properly answer all your questions. Hopefully what little I can say helps you.

Thanks Aristotle for your reassurance on the wifi. Sounds amazing. Just waiting for my work to confirm I don't have to buy via their supplier, and then I'll be getting mine!

@Master One I have full disc encryption on the hard disk and SDD (no M.2) on my lafite ii. Can't think of any reason why that wouldn't work on lafite iii.

Hi,

I am also interested in buying this laptop and running Linux on it.
Can you tell me if that notebook has a standard bios or an uefi one? It could be helpful for installing grub.

Could you also kindly show me some info about notebook's motherboard?
Just copy-paste the output of
sudo dmidecode | grep "Base Board".
Frankly, I don't remember if dmidecode is built in in all Linux distros, so it's possible you have to install it.

But the greater question is:
Should I buy it now, knowing that Intel is going to show the coffee lake lineup on 21 August? I found many leaks in regards of ulv cpus running 4cores/8thread... Since I'm a developer / sysadmin, maybe it could be worth waiting that PCS will pick up these new cpus?

Really thank you

# dmidecode 3.0
Getting SMBIOS data from sysfs.
SMBIOS 3.0.0 present.
Table at 0x7D3B3000.

Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 24 bytes
BIOS Information
Vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
Version: 1.05.05
Release Date: 04/27/2017
Address: 0xF0000
Runtime Size: 64 kB
ROM Size: 16384 kB
Characteristics:
PCI is supported
BIOS is upgradeable
BIOS shadowing is allowed
Boot from CD is supported
Selectable boot is supported
BIOS ROM is socketed
EDD is supported
Print screen service is supported (int 5h)
8042 keyboard services are supported (int 9h)
Printer services are supported (int 17h)
ACPI is supported
USB legacy is supported
BIOS boot specification is supported
Targeted content distribution is supported
UEFI is supported
BIOS Revision: 5.12

Handle 0x0001, DMI type 1, 27 bytes
System Information
Manufacturer: Notebook
Product Name: N130BU
Version: Not Applicable
Serial Number: Not Applicable
UUID: 465BFA80-0F09-0000-0000-000000000000
Wake-up Type: Power Switch
SKU Number: Not Applicable
Family: Not Applicable

Handle 0x0002, DMI type 2, 15 bytes
Base Board Information
Manufacturer: Notebook
Product Name: N130BU
Version: Not Applicable
Serial Number: Not Applicable
Asset Tag: Tag 12345
Features:
Board is a hosting board
Board is replaceable
Location In Chassis: Not Applicable
Chassis Handle: 0x0003
Type: Motherboard
Contained Object Handles: 0

Handle 0x0003, DMI type 3, 22 bytes
Chassis Information
Manufacturer: Notebook
Type: Notebook
Lock: Not Present
Version: N/A
Serial Number: None
Asset Tag: No Asset Tag
Boot-up State: Safe
Power Supply State: Safe
Thermal State: Safe
Security Status: None
OEM Information: 0x00000000
Height: Unspecified
Number Of Power Cords: 1
Contained Elements: 0
SKU Number: Default string

Handle 0x0004, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J1A1
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: PS2Mouse
External Connector Type: PS/2
Port Type: Mouse Port

Handle 0x0005, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J1A1
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: Keyboard
External Connector Type: PS/2
Port Type: Keyboard Port

Handle 0x0006, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J2A1
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: TV Out
External Connector Type: Mini Centronics Type-14
Port Type: Other

Handle 0x0007, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J2A2A
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: COM A
External Connector Type: DB-9 male
Port Type: Serial Port 16550A Compatible

Handle 0x0008, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J2A2B
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: Video
External Connector Type: DB-15 female
Port Type: Video Port

Handle 0x0009, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J3A1
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: USB1
External Connector Type: Access Bus (USB)
Port Type: USB

Handle 0x000A, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J3A1
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: USB2
External Connector Type: Access Bus (USB)
Port Type: USB

Handle 0x000B, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J3A1
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: USB3
External Connector Type: Access Bus (USB)
Port Type: USB

Handle 0x000C, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J5A1
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: LAN
External Connector Type: RJ-45
Port Type: Network Port

Handle 0x000D, DMI type 8, 9 bytes
Port Connector Information
Internal Reference Designator: J5A1
Internal Connector Type: None
External Reference Designator: USB4
External Connector Type: Access Bus (USB)
Port Type: USB

Handle 0x000E, DMI type 9, 17 bytes
System Slot Information
Designation: J6B2
Type: x16 PCI Express
Current Usage: In Use
Length: Long
ID: 0
Characteristics:
3.3 V is provided
Opening is shared
PME signal is supported
Bus Address: 0000:00:01.0

Handle 0x000F, DMI type 10, 8 bytes
On Board Device 1 Information
Type: Video
Status: Enabled
Description: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
On Board Device 2 Information
Type: Ethernet
Status: Enabled
Description: To Be Filled By O.E.M.

Handle 0x0010, DMI type 11, 5 bytes
OEM Strings
String 1: 1558
String 2: OEM String
String 3: Default string
String 4: Default string
String 5: BIOS:1.05.05

Handle 0x0011, DMI type 12, 5 bytes
System Configuration Options
Option 1: Default string

Handle 0x0012, DMI type 32, 20 bytes
System Boot Information
Status: No errors detected

Handle 0x0013, DMI type 16, 23 bytes
Physical Memory Array
Location: System Board Or Motherboard
Use: System Memory
Error Correction Type: None
Maximum Capacity: 32 GB
Error Information Handle: Not Provided
Number Of Devices: 2

Handle 0x0014, DMI type 17, 40 bytes
Memory Device
Array Handle: 0x0013
Error Information Handle: Not Provided
Total Width: Unknown
Data Width: Unknown
Size: No Module Installed
Form Factor: Unknown
Set: None
Locator: ChannelA-DIMM0
Bank Locator: BANK 0
Type: Unknown
Type Detail: None
Speed: Unknown
Manufacturer: Not Specified
Serial Number: Not Specified
Asset Tag: Not Specified
Part Number: Not Specified
Rank: Unknown
Configured Clock Speed: Unknown
Minimum Voltage: Unknown
Maximum Voltage: Unknown
Configured Voltage: Unknown

Handle 0x0015, DMI type 17, 40 bytes
Memory Device
Array Handle: 0x0013
Error Information Handle: Not Provided
Total Width: 64 bits
Data Width: 64 bits
Size: 8192 MB
Form Factor: SODIMM
Set: None
Locator: ChannelB-DIMM0
Bank Locator: BANK 2
Type: DDR4
Type Detail: Synchronous
Speed: 2133 MHz
Manufacturer: 029E
Serial Number: 00000000
Asset Tag: 9876543210
Part Number: CMSO8GX4M1A2133C15
Rank: 1
Configured Clock Speed: 2133 MHz
Minimum Voltage: 1.2 V
Maximum Voltage: 1.2 V
Configured Voltage: 1.2 V

Handle 0x0016, DMI type 19, 31 bytes
Memory Array Mapped Address
Starting Address: 0x00000000000
Ending Address: 0x001FFFFFFFF
Range Size: 8 GB
Physical Array Handle: 0x0013
Partition Width: 1

Handle 0x0017, DMI type 7, 19 bytes
Cache Information
Socket Designation: L1 Cache
Configuration: Enabled, Not Socketed, Level 1
Operational Mode: Write Back
Location: Internal
Installed Size: 128 kB
Maximum Size: 128 kB
Supported SRAM Types:
Synchronous
Installed SRAM Type: Synchronous
Speed: Unknown
Error Correction Type: Parity
System Type: Unified
Associativity: 8-way Set-associative

Handle 0x0018, DMI type 7, 19 bytes
Cache Information
Socket Designation: L2 Cache
Configuration: Enabled, Not Socketed, Level 2
Operational Mode: Write Back
Location: Internal
Installed Size: 512 kB
Maximum Size: 512 kB
Supported SRAM Types:
Synchronous
Installed SRAM Type: Synchronous
Speed: Unknown
Error Correction Type: Single-bit ECC
System Type: Unified
Associativity: 4-way Set-associative

Handle 0x0019, DMI type 7, 19 bytes
Cache Information
Socket Designation: L3 Cache
Configuration: Enabled, Not Socketed, Level 3
Operational Mode: Write Back
Location: Internal
Installed Size: 4096 kB
Maximum Size: 4096 kB
Supported SRAM Types:
Synchronous
Installed SRAM Type: Synchronous
Speed: Unknown
Error Correction Type: Multi-bit ECC
System Type: Unified
Associativity: 16-way Set-associative

Handle 0x001A, DMI type 4, 48 bytes
Processor Information
Socket Designation: U3E1
Type: Central Processor
Family: Core i7
Manufacturer: Intel(R) Corporation
ID: E9 06 08 00 FF FB EB BF
Signature: Type 0, Family 6, Model 142, Stepping 9
Flags:
FPU (Floating-point unit on-chip)
VME (Virtual mode extension)
DE (Debugging extension)
PSE (Page size extension)
TSC (Time stamp counter)
MSR (Model specific registers)
PAE (Physical address extension)
MCE (Machine check exception)
CX8 (CMPXCHG8 instruction supported)
APIC (On-chip APIC hardware supported)
SEP (Fast system call)
MTRR (Memory type range registers)
PGE (Page global enable)
MCA (Machine check architecture)
CMOV (Conditional move instruction supported)
PAT (Page attribute table)
PSE-36 (36-bit page size extension)
CLFSH (CLFLUSH instruction supported)
DS (Debug store)
ACPI (ACPI supported)
MMX (MMX technology supported)
FXSR (FXSAVE and FXSTOR instructions supported)
SSE (Streaming SIMD extensions)
SSE2 (Streaming SIMD extensions 2)
SS (Self-snoop)
HTT (Multi-threading)
TM (Thermal monitor supported)
PBE (Pending break enabled)
Version: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7500U CPU @ 2.70GHz
Voltage: 1.0 V
External Clock: 100 MHz
Max Speed: 8300 MHz
Current Speed: 3500 MHz
Status: Populated, Enabled
Upgrade: Other
L1 Cache Handle: 0x0017
L2 Cache Handle: 0x0018
L3 Cache Handle: 0x0019
Serial Number: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
Asset Tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
Part Number: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
Core Count: 2
Core Enabled: 2
Thread Count: 4
Characteristics:
64-bit capable
Multi-Core
Hardware Thread
Execute Protection
Enhanced Virtualization
Power/Performance Control

End Of Table

I just purchased a Lafit III two weeks ago, and although reasonably happy with it's size, weight, keyboard, and portability, have been really disappointed with the speakers. It feels like I can't watch anything without headphones, and I'm not picky about bass or anything, it's just extremely quiet. I find this very disappointing. I probably wouldn't have bought this laptop having known this.

The trackpad is quite uncomfortable too. I believe it is an improvement on the Lafit II, but not enough of an improvement in my opinion. The texture is really off-putting and tacky. I find navigating quite slow using the trackpad, so have migrated to a mouse.

These are both quite major issues for me. I can't say I'm that happy about it overall.