Origin, builder of ultra-high-end PCs, announced this morning that its latest EON15-S series of laptops will start at a mere $999. An Origin laptop that’s…actually affordable? Okay, now I know gaming laptops have become a bargain all of the sudden.
Sure, you won’t find the most amazing hardware at that price point. The $999 model will feature a 15.6-inch 1920×1080 panel, powered by an Intel Core i3-7100H processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. That’s not exactly the pedal-to-the-metal power Origin is known for.
But it does go to show, as I said, how much gaming laptops have come down in price. It wasn’t too long ago $1,500 was the “entry-level” price for portable gaming. The last few years saw that price dip to $1,250 for some lower-end machines, especially from non-gaming companies like Lenovo.
$999 for a gaming machine from Origin, though? That’s amazing. As far as I can tell, the cheapest Origin laptop before today came in around $1,700. Hell, Razer sells a $999 laptop—but only because that model doesn’t include a discrete graphics card. The EON15-S’s 1050 Ti isn’t overwhelming power, but it’s better than integrated graphics and a steal at this price.
Rounding out the specs, the EON15-S can be equipped with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, up to 6TB of storage (including m.2 SSDs), and gets up to 6 hours of battery. It’s also an inch thick and weighs around five pounds, with a sheep-in-wolf’s-clothing vibe about it: This EON15-S might only pack a 1050 Ti but it looks as sharp and clean as any super-powered Origin laptop. It definitely doesn’t have that “cheap laptop” aesthetic that a lot of these cost-cutting gaming machines have sported lately.
Overall, this is just a fascinating move by Origin. CEO Kevin Wasielewski is quoted as saying “For many years Origin PC has wanted to offer a customizable laptop with a great gaming experience and premium support that doesn’t sacrifice quality and starts at a more accessible price point.” Mission accomplished on that front I think. We’ll hold our full verdict for a review, but consider me well intrigued.