I've been doing a lot of research on both these laptops as I'm really torn between the two. Here's what I've gathered on them, both configured at medium-high gaming specs.
15.6" Octane II <-- Link
Octane Series - 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Desktop Processor i5-6600K (3.5GHz) 6MB Cache
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X IMPACT 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB) RAM
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 970M GPU - 6.0GB DDR5 Video RAM, DirectX® 12, G-SYNC
120GB Memory Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
500GB WD Black 2.5" WD5000LPLX, SATA 6GB/s, 32MB Cache (7200rpm)
Gigabit LAN & Killer™ 1525-AC M.2 Wireless Gaming 802.11N + BLUETOOTH 4.0 Network Card
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit OS - inc DVD & Licence
A grand total of £1,295 values the Octane higher than the Defiance. With a desktop processor and G-Sync* feature, this baby proves to pack more than just a punch. But this will undoubtedly drain more battery life. And whilst it's design is really cool, it's a little gamer stereotypical. And its keyboard is slightly less proportional to that of the Defiance. The fans at the back seem quite large meaning they won't have to blow as hard (or spin as fast) to dissipate heat. But customers with similar models still complain about intrusive fan noise, and higher temperatures, with intensive use and/or during elongated periods. It seems much more durable than the Defiance though and, since it's bigger in size, it should also be less stressful to take apart for whenever you'd like to upgrade its hardware.
*G-Sync is an improved version of V-Sync. V-Sync basically maintains a lower level of FPS to avoid screen tearing (when two or more separate frames overlap and are displayed concurrently) but it can still happen sometimes. G-Sync guarantees that screen tearing does not happen whilst maintaining a higher, and more acceptable, level of FPS.
Here is a video overview of the 15.6" Octane II.
Here is an "early impressions" review by the same person who uploaded the Octane II video overwiew
Here is a website commercial of the Octane II.
15.6" Defiance II <-- Link
Defiance Series - 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor 6700HQ (2.6GHz, 3.5GHz Turbo)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X IMPACT 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB) RAM
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 970M GPU - 6.0GB DDR5 Video RAM, DirectX® 12
120GB Memory Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
750GB WD Slim Blue WD7500LPCX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 16MB Cache (5400 rpm)
Gigabit LAN & Killer™ 1525-AC M.2 Wireless Gaming 802.11N + BLUETOOTH 4.0 Network Card
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit OS - inc DVD & Licence
A grand total of £1,209 makes this laptop more budget-friendly. And whilst it lacks the desirable G-Sync feature, it comes with Nvidia Optimus Technology (which Octane doesn't have) designed to enhance battery life, GPU usage and consequently performance too. It's 0.9KG lighter than the Octane, it has a more modest and professional appearance, and fewer customers complain about fan noise and uncomfortably high temperatures. But, unfortunately, the Defiance does not support the WD Black series (the more reliable hard disks) and its processor is not as powerful as the Octane's since its only a mobile CPU (which is standard for laptops) but it'll definitely still more than enough for intensive multi-tasking, gaming and even livestreaming.
Many complain, though, that the rear panel is "difficult and time-consuming to remove" due to the number of screws keeping the laptop tight. And many more complain that its screen casing is "wobbly and unstable" which, to be honest, shouldn't really be much of a problem. Also, the Defiance's keyboard is a little spaced out making it more prone to dust and dirt - it can be rather inconvenient if enough builds up under the keys so be careful. But, despite all this, the average customer ratings for the Defiance is an impressive 9/10 still!
Here is an interesting album I found showcasing the 15.6" Defiance II.
Here is a US video review of the 15.6" Defiance II laptop.
Here is a video review of the 17.3" variant of the Defiance II.
Misc. Configurations
Backlit UK Keyboard WITH NUMPAD
Arctic MX-4 Extreme Thermal (Paste) Conductivity Compound
Bullguard Internet Security - 90 Days Trial
Free 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
3-Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
30 Day Dead Pixel Guarantee inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
PCS Extra-Care Diamond Pre-Noon Delivery Service, Mon-Fri
Standard Build - Approx. 7 to 9 working days
Comparisons
Both laptops have a chassis that attract finger-prints, making them difficult to keep tidy, but the Defiance seems more metallic (possibly alloy or aluminium) making it a better heat conductor whilst the Octane seems to be mostly compromised of composite plastic. Yet, apparently, the Octane still remains fairly tolerant to heat.
Both laptops support DDR4 memory even though only the Octane features it and both can play games like 'Battlefield: Hardline' and 'The Witcher 3' at high-ultra graphical settings for a stable 1080p60fps without much problem. But high-quality livestreaming may affect performance, more so on the Defiance. A great feature of the Octane is the rubberised layer over its keyboard preventing dust and dirt from building up under the keys.
The Octane is very new meaning there are barely any reviews on it, let alone unboxing or assessment videos. But it is clearly more powerful and its rumours of heat build-up can easily be combated with an advanced laptop cooling stand (which costs around £40 or so). But is the Octane, without a cooling stand, really worth an additional £86? Probably so. But that money could be the breathing room you need budget-wise which you could use for an additional investment for your Defiance.
It all depends on personal preference and how you will be using your laptop. I would like to use my laptop for intensive gaming, high-quality streaming and general academic work. What do you think? Is there anything that I've missed out? Was I mistaken in any of my comments. Please feel free to upload any images of the laptops. Thanks in advance!
15.6" Octane II <-- Link
Octane Series - 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Desktop Processor i5-6600K (3.5GHz) 6MB Cache
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X IMPACT 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB) RAM
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 970M GPU - 6.0GB DDR5 Video RAM, DirectX® 12, G-SYNC
120GB Memory Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
500GB WD Black 2.5" WD5000LPLX, SATA 6GB/s, 32MB Cache (7200rpm)
Gigabit LAN & Killer™ 1525-AC M.2 Wireless Gaming 802.11N + BLUETOOTH 4.0 Network Card
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit OS - inc DVD & Licence
A grand total of £1,295 values the Octane higher than the Defiance. With a desktop processor and G-Sync* feature, this baby proves to pack more than just a punch. But this will undoubtedly drain more battery life. And whilst it's design is really cool, it's a little gamer stereotypical. And its keyboard is slightly less proportional to that of the Defiance. The fans at the back seem quite large meaning they won't have to blow as hard (or spin as fast) to dissipate heat. But customers with similar models still complain about intrusive fan noise, and higher temperatures, with intensive use and/or during elongated periods. It seems much more durable than the Defiance though and, since it's bigger in size, it should also be less stressful to take apart for whenever you'd like to upgrade its hardware.
*G-Sync is an improved version of V-Sync. V-Sync basically maintains a lower level of FPS to avoid screen tearing (when two or more separate frames overlap and are displayed concurrently) but it can still happen sometimes. G-Sync guarantees that screen tearing does not happen whilst maintaining a higher, and more acceptable, level of FPS.
Here is a video overview of the 15.6" Octane II.
Here is an "early impressions" review by the same person who uploaded the Octane II video overwiew
Here is a website commercial of the Octane II.
15.6" Defiance II <-- Link
Defiance Series - 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor 6700HQ (2.6GHz, 3.5GHz Turbo)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X IMPACT 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB) RAM
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 970M GPU - 6.0GB DDR5 Video RAM, DirectX® 12
120GB Memory Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
750GB WD Slim Blue WD7500LPCX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 16MB Cache (5400 rpm)
Gigabit LAN & Killer™ 1525-AC M.2 Wireless Gaming 802.11N + BLUETOOTH 4.0 Network Card
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit OS - inc DVD & Licence
A grand total of £1,209 makes this laptop more budget-friendly. And whilst it lacks the desirable G-Sync feature, it comes with Nvidia Optimus Technology (which Octane doesn't have) designed to enhance battery life, GPU usage and consequently performance too. It's 0.9KG lighter than the Octane, it has a more modest and professional appearance, and fewer customers complain about fan noise and uncomfortably high temperatures. But, unfortunately, the Defiance does not support the WD Black series (the more reliable hard disks) and its processor is not as powerful as the Octane's since its only a mobile CPU (which is standard for laptops) but it'll definitely still more than enough for intensive multi-tasking, gaming and even livestreaming.
Many complain, though, that the rear panel is "difficult and time-consuming to remove" due to the number of screws keeping the laptop tight. And many more complain that its screen casing is "wobbly and unstable" which, to be honest, shouldn't really be much of a problem. Also, the Defiance's keyboard is a little spaced out making it more prone to dust and dirt - it can be rather inconvenient if enough builds up under the keys so be careful. But, despite all this, the average customer ratings for the Defiance is an impressive 9/10 still!
Here is an interesting album I found showcasing the 15.6" Defiance II.
Here is a US video review of the 15.6" Defiance II laptop.
Here is a video review of the 17.3" variant of the Defiance II.
Misc. Configurations
Backlit UK Keyboard WITH NUMPAD
Arctic MX-4 Extreme Thermal (Paste) Conductivity Compound
Bullguard Internet Security - 90 Days Trial
Free 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
3-Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
30 Day Dead Pixel Guarantee inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
PCS Extra-Care Diamond Pre-Noon Delivery Service, Mon-Fri
Standard Build - Approx. 7 to 9 working days
Comparisons
Both laptops have a chassis that attract finger-prints, making them difficult to keep tidy, but the Defiance seems more metallic (possibly alloy or aluminium) making it a better heat conductor whilst the Octane seems to be mostly compromised of composite plastic. Yet, apparently, the Octane still remains fairly tolerant to heat.
Both laptops support DDR4 memory even though only the Octane features it and both can play games like 'Battlefield: Hardline' and 'The Witcher 3' at high-ultra graphical settings for a stable 1080p60fps without much problem. But high-quality livestreaming may affect performance, more so on the Defiance. A great feature of the Octane is the rubberised layer over its keyboard preventing dust and dirt from building up under the keys.
The Octane is very new meaning there are barely any reviews on it, let alone unboxing or assessment videos. But it is clearly more powerful and its rumours of heat build-up can easily be combated with an advanced laptop cooling stand (which costs around £40 or so). But is the Octane, without a cooling stand, really worth an additional £86? Probably so. But that money could be the breathing room you need budget-wise which you could use for an additional investment for your Defiance.
It all depends on personal preference and how you will be using your laptop. I would like to use my laptop for intensive gaming, high-quality streaming and general academic work. What do you think? Is there anything that I've missed out? Was I mistaken in any of my comments. Please feel free to upload any images of the laptops. Thanks in advance!
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