The P-13 Helix is Aftershock’s first non-gaming Ultrabook

Known for their gaming-focused line-up of gaming notebooks and desktops, Aftershock has decidedly gone mainstream with their first non-gaming ultrabook, the P-13 Helix.

As with all of Aftershock’s products, you can mix and match the P-13 Helix components. The base model goes for S$1,399 with an Intel i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 250GB SSD, and a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel IPS display, but a recommended setup like the one below will set you back by just (relatively speaking) S$1,787.

• 13.3-inch 3,200 x 1,800-pixel display
• Intel Core i7-7500U (2.7GHz, 4MB L3 cache)
• 16GB DDR4 2,400MHz RAM
• 500GB Samsung 850 EVO M.2 SSD
• 329.7 x 225 x 17.8mm
• 1.3kg

That’s a very attractive price as far as these things go. Even the Razer Blade Stealth which is already one of the most compellingly priced ultrabooks on the market now, costs S$1,799 for specifications comparable to the base Helix model, although it does come with a 2,560 x 1,440-pixel touchscreen display and a far sleeker design.

But don’t let the terms ‘mainstream’ and ‘ultrabook‘ fool you, as the P-13 Helix can still pack quite the punch when it comes to serious gaming: One of the key feature of the P-13 Helix is its support for an external GPU dock via Thunderbolt 3.

Aftershock is bringing in the AKiTiO Node external graphics enclosure, which you’ll be able to buy for just S$399. That’s practically a steal compared to some of the other docks available now, such as the S$888 ASUS ROG XG Station 2.

Aftershock will only be selling the Node as a bundle with the Helix, and it will not be available for purchase separately.

The dock will hold up to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, which means you’ll be able to use the Helix as your work machine during the day and plug it into the dock to game at night.

Of course, there are certain trade-offs, and the P-13 Helix isn’t one of those notebooks that will wow you with an edge-to-edge display, ultra-thin dimensions, or exceedingly light weight.

It is actually quite thick for an ultrabook at 17.8mm, which is around the height of even certain gaming laptops.

That said, it’s difficult to complain at that price, and if having the best design and portability is not a priority, the P-13 Helix looks to be a good fit for those who are just looking for a powerful, versatile notebook.

After all, this is a laptop that will take up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and a 2TB Samsung 960 Pro SSD and 2TB HDD. You can head over to Aftershock’s website to check out the P-13 Helix for yourself now.