Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 Verdict
The Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 provides ample power for smooth gameplay in demanding titles, complemented by a remarkably sharp display. Its design is surprisingly minimal, though its substantial weight hinders true portability. Battery life is notably short, and it lacks the premium feel of major brands. However, these compromises are reasonable given its attractive price point. The Major 16 X1 stands out as a high-value option for users who prioritize raw performance and are willing to overlook its shortcomings.
Pros
- Well priced for the specifications
- Capable 1600p performance
- Surprisingly sleek design
Cons
- Uninspiring aesthetic
- Keyboard lacks tactility
- Poor battery life
Medion Erazer Major 16 X1: Two-minute review
The Medion Erazer Major 16 X1, though not from a widely recognized brand, aims to attract gamers with its powerful specifications and affordable price.
Its design is unremarkable, featuring an an all-black finish and minimal embellishments, which makes it blend in with many other gaming laptops that often have similar aesthetics.
Despite being a 16-inch laptop, the Major 16 X1 boasts a surprisingly sleek profile. Most surfaces are flat, the lid is notably thin, and the rear ventilation is discreet. This makes it less bulky than some best gaming laptop designs.
However, the laptop’s base is quite thick and heavy, significantly impacting its portability. On the positive side, this contributes to a solid and durable feel, with minimal flex in its panels.
The Major 16 X1 offers a comprehensive selection of ports, including an SD card reader and a Mini DisplayPort, which are uncommon on many gaming laptops. The ports are well-distributed across the sides and rear for convenient access.
Medion’s Control Center software, while somewhat hidden, serves as a useful utility. It allows for easy adjustments to performance modes and other basic system settings, operating smoothly without issues during testing.
Performance on the Major 16 X1 is strong, living up to its promising specifications. Users can achieve a desirable 60fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at medium Ray Tracing settings with DLSS upscaling enabled, and even higher frame rates with Frame Generation activated.
This performance is achieved without excessive heat; the area between the touchpad and space bar registered the highest surface temperature but remained comfortable to touch. Fan noise is present but not overly distracting.
The display on the Major 16 X1 is excellent, offering superb clarity thanks to its high pixel count. Colors are vibrant, and while reflections can occur, the screen’s brightness generally prevents them from hindering the gaming experience.
The keys provide a light and responsive feel, though they lack the deeper dampening found in some other keyboards. Generous key spacing ensures comfortable typing, which is particularly commendable given the inclusion of a number pad.
The touchpad is notably smooth, facilitating easy and precise gestures. Its compact size helps prevent accidental inputs during keyboard use, though it offers less surface area for navigation compared to larger touchpads.
One significant drawback of the Major 16 X1 is its battery life. It delivered poor results in both the PCMark benchmark and a movie playback test. While gaming laptops are not known for long endurance, this model ranks among the lower performers in its category.
Priced at £1,999, the Major 16 X1 is an expensive investment. However, considering its powerful specifications, it offers better value than many competitors. While it may lack the premium aesthetic of brands like Razer and Lenovo, its straightforward design allows the Major 16 X1 to deliver an excellent gaming experience at a relatively modest cost.
Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 review: Price & Availability
- £1,999.99 (about $2,685 / AU$4,050)
- Available in the UK
- Good price for the specifications
The Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 is available in the UK for £1,999.99 (approximately $2,685 / AU$4,050). This configuration includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, an Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD.
Given its impressive hardware, the Major 16 X1 is considered a well-priced gaming laptop. Many offerings from more prominent brands provide lesser specifications at a higher cost. While it may not have the same brand recognition, the Major 16 X1 offers comparable overall quality.
For those seeking to save money without a drastic drop in gaming performance, alternatives exist. These include another Erazer model, the Deputy 15 P1, and the PC Specialist Defiance II 16. However, the Major 16 X1’s significant advantage is its super-sharp 2560 x 1600 resolution display, which far surpasses the screens of these other models.
Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 review: Specs
Here are the specifications for the Medion Erazer Major 16 X1:
- Price: £1,999.99 (about $2,685 / AU$4,050)
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24 cores, 2.7GHz)
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, 12GB
- RAM: 32GB DDR5
- Storage: 2TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
- Display: 16-inch 2560×1600 (WQXGA), 240Hz
- Ports and Connectivity: 1x HDMI, 1x combo audio, 1x RJ-45, 1x SD Card Reader, 3x USB-A 3.2, 2x USB-C (1x 4.0 PD / DP)
- Battery: 99Wh
- Dimensions: 14 x 9.6 x 0.9in (357 x 245 x 22.7mm)
- Weight: 2.42kg
Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 review: Design
- Anonymous appearance
- Surprisingly sleek form factor
- Quite heavy
Like many gaming laptops, the Major 16 X1 is not designed to be visually striking. Its plain aesthetic, featuring an all-black finish and only RGB keyboard backlighting, contributes to its understated look.
Despite this, the Major 16 X1 exhibits a surprising sleekness for a gaming laptop. It avoids unnecessary protrusions or sharp angles, maintaining a minimal form. Even the rear ventilation section is only slightly extended.
A noticeable overhang at the top of the lid aids in opening, which is a practical design choice. The lid itself is impressively thin; while it might be less rigid than some competitors, it remained stable during use.
However, the thick and heavy base makes the Major 16 X1 less ideal for frequent travel. The rubberized bar underneath is also thicker than those found on other gaming laptops, further contributing to its bulk. The weight does, however, lend a solid feel to the device, though some rivals offer even more robust constructions.
The Major 16 X1 provides a good array of physical connectivity options. On the left side, an RJ-45 port and a combo audio jack are conveniently placed, with two USB ports (one Type-A and one Type-C) in between.
The right side features two more USB-A ports and an SD card reader, a less common but welcome addition on gaming laptops. Even rarer is the Mini DisplayPort, located at the rear alongside the power jack, an HDMI port, and another USB-C port.
The preinstalled Control Center utility software, though not immediately obvious, is a simple yet effective application. It facilitates easy selection of performance modes and adjustment of other system settings, such as toggling the Function key lock. The software loads and runs quickly, without any bugs or glitches observed during its use.
Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 review: Performance
- Strong gaming performance
- Brilliantly sharp display
- Relatively cool and quiet operation
Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 Benchmarks
These are the benchmark results for Medion Erazer Major 16 X1:
- Geekbench 6 (Multi Core): 19,356; (Single Core): 3,084
- Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 33,928
- Cinebench R24 (Multi Core): 1,941; (Single Core): 136
- Crossmark Overall: 2,203
- 3DMark Night Raid: 73,858; Fire Strike: 36,055; Steel Nomad: 3,850; Solar Bay: 73,460; Solar Bay Unlimited: 82,701; Solar Bay Extreme: 15,542; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 16,481
- BlackMagicDisk Read: 6,140MB/s; Write: 5,153MB/s
- Civilization VII (Max resolution, AMD FSR 3, High): 130fps; (1080p, High): 202fps
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Max resolution, Highest, Balanced upscaling): 205fps; (1080p, Highest, SMAA x4): 183fps
- Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Ultra): 91fps; (Max Resolution, Ultra): 65fps
- Cyberpunk 2077 (Max resolution, Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 101fps; (1080p, Ray Tracing: Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 64fps; (1080p, Ultra, no upscaling): 125fps
- Marvel Rivals (Max resolution, Balanced upscaling, Ultra): 67-83fps; (1200p, no upscaling, Low): 112-144fps
Equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 and RTX 5070 Ti, the Major 16 X1 delivers exceptional gaming performance. In Cyberpunk 2077, frame rates ranged from 55-60fps at the Ray Tracing: Medium preset with DLSS upscaling set to Auto. Switching to Balanced upscaling provided only minor gains, while enabling Frame Generation boosted frame rates to an average of 110fps.
The Major 16 X1’s display is also outstanding. Its ultra-sharp 2560 x 1600 resolution produces a crisp image, and colors are vibrant, though perhaps not as vivid as those on the best gaming monitors. While reflections can occasionally be seen, the laptop’s brightness levels largely mitigate their impact on the gaming experience.
Fan noise, while present, is impressively subdued compared to many other laptops in this category. The Major 16 X1’s cooling capabilities are also commendable; it remained only lukewarm during sessions, with most external areas staying cool.
Curiously, the warmest spot was a small area between the touchpad and space bar, which could be slightly noticeable when a thumb rested there. However, it was not hot enough to detract from the overall experience.
The keys offer a snappy and satisfying feel, though they lack the deeper dampening found in some gaming keyboard switches. The comfortable layout, even with the inclusion of a number pad, makes the Major 16 X1 suitable for typing.
The touchpad proved surprisingly good. Its exceptional smoothness allows for easy and precise swipes and gestures. Its small size also helps prevent accidental inputs during keyboard use. However, this compact design does limit navigation compared to touchpads with larger surface areas, though this may be less of an issue for users who prefer a gaming mouse.
Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 review: Battery Life
- Short battery life, even for a gaming laptop
- Quick charging capabilities
The Major 16 X1 exhibits a relatively short battery life, even when compared to other gaming laptops. It lasted less than five hours during a continuous movie playback test, a duration surpassed by many rivals.
Performance in PCMark’s gaming battery benchmark was also poor, lasting approximately an hour. Fortunately, the Major 16 X1 recharges quickly, reaching full capacity in about 90 minutes.
Should I buy the Medion Erazer Major 16 X1?
The Major 16 X1 offers compelling value for its price. While its initial cost is significant, it often undercuts rivals, even those with weaker specifications.
Its minimal appearance and surprisingly compact build are advantages, though its weight is a drawback. It also lacks the premium feel of more established competitors.
The Major 16 X1 excels at running AAA titles, and its sharp display enhances the visual experience. However, the keyboard, while functional, is not among the best available.
Battery life is arguably the weakest aspect of the Major 16 X1, placing it at the lower end of endurance for gaming laptops.
Overall, the Major 16 X1 is an attractive option given its performance-to-price ratio. Its flaws do not hinder its core gaming capabilities, making it ideal for those who prioritize raw power above all else.
Buy the Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 if…
You prioritize performance Its powerful specifications ensure smooth gameplay in demanding titles, with efficient cooling and manageable fan noise.
You want a high resolution display The laptop’s high pixel count delivers a remarkably sharp and visually immersive experience.
Don’t buy it if…
You want the best keyboard While functional, the keyboard’s lack of travel and dampening might not satisfy users seeking a more tactile typing and gaming experience.
You want the best battery life Gaming laptops generally have limited endurance, but the Major 16 X1 is among the poorest performers in terms of battery longevity.
Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 review: Also Consider
Medion Erazer Deputy 15 P1 The Deputy 15 P1 is another Medion Erazer model, offering a more budget-friendly option. Its top-tier configuration approaches the Major 16 X1’s performance, though it uses an RTX 5070 instead of the Ti variant, resulting in slightly lower gaming performance. A more significant difference is its 1080p, 144Hz display, which is an inch smaller and less sharp than the Major 16 X1’s screen.
Read our full Medion Erazer Deputy 15 P1 review.
PC Specialist Defiance II 16 This laptop from PC Specialist matches the Major 16 X1 in size but comes with a significantly lower price. While its specifications are a downgrade, it still provides a good 1200p gaming experience. It is recommended to pair this laptop with an external gaming keyboard, as its integrated unit is not particularly impressive.
Read our full PC Specialist Defiance II 16 review.
How I tested the Medion Erazer Major 16 X1
- Tested over several days
- Used for gaming and benchmarking
- Extensive gaming experience
The Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 underwent testing for several days, involving both gaming and productivity tasks. Various AAA titles, such as Cyberpunk 2077, were played, and a series of benchmark tests were conducted to evaluate all aspects of the laptop.
The reviewer has over a decade of PC gaming experience and has used numerous devices and components. Many gaming laptops, spanning different specifications, brands, and price points, have also been reviewed.
