Local PC maker Aftershock PC might be famed for its gaming desktops and laptops. But it has been making mainstream Ultrabooks like the Lunar series for some time. And the latest model launched last month is the Lunar 15 Max.
Designed by in collaboration with Intel, the Lunar 15 Max is Aftershock’s flagship model in the Ultrabook category. It is powered by the latest 11th-generation Intel i7-1165G7 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics processor for your everyday productivity needs.
It features a 15.6-inch touchscreen full high-definition display with 100 per cent sRGB colour gamut, ideal for content creators or video editors.
SPECS
PRICE: From S$1,875, available in Aftershock Store
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i7-1165G7
GRAPHICS: Intel Iris X3 Graphics
DISPLAY: 15.6-inch touchscreen (1,920 x 1,080 pixels)
RAM: 16GB
STORAGE: Up to 2TB solid-state drive
BATTERY: 73Wh
WEIGHT: 1.65kg
DESIGN
The Lunar 15 Max is supposed to be available in silver and black. However, the silver model is not available yet during this review. So, we reviewed the black model.
While I have no idea whether the silver model will look better, I think this black model is stealthily gorgeous. It features an all-black anodised aluminium chassis.
Indeed, this minimalistic chassis is really black through and through, apart from the Aftershock logo on its lid and the wordings on the keyboard. It just oozes sleekness and coolness.
If Aftershock takes away the logo for an all-black exterior, I might just buy this laptop immediately. Not to mention, the chassis feels strong and sturdy.
The hinge of the chassis allows the lid to be turned 180 degrees. As such, you can present your slides to clients or colleagues while still practising social distancing.
FOR
+ Great overall performance
+ Stealthy and sleek design
+ Keyboard offers nice tactile response
+ Good value for money
+ Super long battery life
AGAINST
– No fingerprint sensor
– Cannot play graphics-intensive games
– Not exactly thin and lightweight
Plus, I like the backlit keyboard that offers nice tactile response. The keys are well spaced out with a pretty standard layout. Thus, I have very little typos writing this review on this keyboard.
The trackpad is large enough for you to easily drag folders or items across the display. Or you can always use the responsive touchscreen to do so.
For its 15.6-inch laptop, the Lunar 15 Max can be considered to be quite thin and lightweight. But in reality, this laptop is not particularly thin at nearly 1.5cm thick. And at 1.65kg, it is not exactly lightweight. So, it is something to note if you need to carry a laptop to and fro office.
On the bright side, the Lunar 15 Max has all the ports you need. There is a Thunderbolt 4.0 port, a HDMI 2.0b port and a USB-A 3.2 port on its left. On its right, you can find a 3.5mm audio jack, a Thunderbolt 4.0 port and a USB-A 3.2 port.
I like that both Thunderbolt 4.0 ports can be used for charging. This is really convenient if you already have a USB-C power adapter. Thus, there is no need to bring a proprietary power adapter along the next time you can travel, or when shuttling between office and home.
However, the laptop lacks a fingerprint sensor. But it does support Windows Hello face recognition via its webcam.
PERFORMANCE
Performance wise, the Lunar 15 Max might not be a blazing Ferrari but it is no slouch.
In the PCMark 10 Benchmark test, the Lunar 15 Max scored an admirable 5,117. This score is better than 54 per cent of all results submitted. And it is much higher than the average score of 4,611 for office laptops.
For actual everyday use, the laptop has no issues performing most of your productivity tasks like your presentation slides and financial sheets without any hitches.
But if you are looking to play games, you have to look at the gaming laptops by Aftershock instead. For instance, I cannot even get the graphics-intensive game Cyberpunk 2077 to play.
However, playing less graphics-intensive games like Football Manager 2020 is no issue. Indeed, the laptop can even manage 60 frames per second during matches in Football Manager 2020.
BATTERY LIFE
The Lunar 15 Max comes with a huge 73Wh battery. Thus, it should have a long battery life on paper.
In our video-loop battery test whereby we loop a video with the display on full brightness, we found it lasted an amazing 11 hours 22 minutes. This is the best battery result so far since testing started.
It just edges out the previous record held by Asus ExpertBook B9400CE, which clocked 11 hours 15 minutes.
VERDICT
With pricing starting from S$1,875, the Aftershock Lunar 15 Max offers great value for money with its touchscreen display, sleek design and overall good performance.
Even when you upgrade its solid-state drive storage to 2TB, it still costs only around S$2,700. For those who does not game and just require a productivity workhorse, this is the laptop to get.
RATINGS
FEATURES: 8/10
DESIGN: 9/10
PERFORMANCE: 8/10
BATTERY LIFE: 10/10
VALUE FOR MONEY: 8/10
OVERALL: 8.5/10
