Schenker Key 17 Pro: Workstation with high-end components around RTX 4090 introduced

With the Schenker Key 17 Pro, the manufacturer has introduced a new workstation that leaves nothing to be desired from a technical point of view. Intel’s Core i9-13900HX and either an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 or 4080 provide first-class performance, while the color-accurate display should go down very well with creative users.

The Schenker Key 17 Pro in detail

The new Schenker Key 17 Pro workstation marks Schenker’s first new introduction in 2023, after they last introduced the Vision 15 (E23) in December 2022. However, the new Key 17 Pro is said to be the top-of-the-line model that focuses primarily on performance.

The laptop, which has been redesigned from the ground up, uses the Core i9-13900HX, one of Intel’s highest-performing new mobile processors. The HX designation shows the proximity to desktop processors, accordingly the model is equipped with 24 cores (8 performance, 16 efficiency cores), 32 threads and a 36 MB cache.

However, the graphics card is also in no way inferior. The manufacturer relies on new models from the NVIDIA RTX 4000 series. The RTX 4080 with 12 GB GDDR6 VRAM or the RTX 4090 with 16 GB VRAM are available.

The cooling of the high-end components is also said to have not been disregarded: “The laptop uses a massive composite cooling system with large copper inserts for the heatspreaders, which also optimally cool peripheral areas such as the VRAM, MOSEFETs and the Intel HM770 PCH. Thus, the GPU can permanently work with the highest possible graphics performance of up to 175 watts (150 W TGP plus 25 W Dynamic Boost 2.0),” promises the manufacturer.

The Schenker Key 17 Pro’s case is almost completely made of aluminum. Inside the notebook, which weighs 3.4 kg and measures 396 x 278 x 24.9 mm, is a 99 watt-hour battery.

High-resolution and color-accurate display

The Schenker Key 17 Pro comes with a 17.3-inch IPS display in 16:9 format, which optionally comes as a WQHD panel (resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 pixels) or with 4K UHD resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels). Both variants cover the sRGB and the extended DCI-P3 color space by at least 99%.

Both support NVIDIA G-SYNC and a high refresh rate: The 300 cd/m2 bright WQHD panel is 240 Hz fast, the 400 cd/m2 bright UHD panel reaches a maximum of 144 Hz. Thus, the workstation is also suitable for gamers.

Advanced Optimus is also supported, which means the notebook automatically switches between iGPU and NVIDIA graphics card when the display is connected.

Modern equipment and connections

There are a whole three slots for M.2 SSDs in the Schenker Key 17 Pro, which means the internal storage can be expanded to a gigantic size. The primary M.2 slot is already connected via PCI Express 5.0 and thus already future-proof.

All three are connected via four lanes each and equipped with heat conduction pads that dissipate heat better. This is to ensure a permanently high write performance and to avoid the problem of the limited space, which prevents SSDs with a cooler from being installed in notebooks.

In addition, there is room for up to 64 GB of fast DDR5 RAM in the notebook, even with a maximum clock rate of 5600 MHz at CL46 latencies. However, 32 GB modules are currently only available in a dual-rank configuration – according to Intel’s specifications, only 5200 MHz at CL42 latencies are possible with maximum memory expansion.

The port selection is also modern. Displays are connected via HDMI 2.1 and Mini DisplayPort 1.4a. In addition, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports with integrated DisplayPort legacy mode.

Thus, the Schenker Key 17 Pro is compatible with all current VR headsets and can be used with up to four displays (three external and the internal display) simultaneously. For network connections, either a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port or Wi-Fi 6E are available, both based on proven Intel chipsets. Other equipment includes two times USB-A 3.2 Gen2 as well as separate audio ports for headphones (compatible with combo plug headsets) and microphone (with S/PDIF support).

The webcam resolves in Full HD, is Windows Hello compatible and relies on noise reduction. Typing is done on a full-size keyboard with large arrow and additional function and dedicated navigation keys, as well as multi-level customizable RGB LED single-key illumination.

Price and Availability

As always, the Schenker Key 17 Pro mobile workstation can be configured freely on bestware.com. In the base configuration, the model includes an Intel Core i9-13900HX, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, 16 (2×8) GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, a 500 GB Samsung 980 SSD and a WQHD IPS display with 99 percent sRGB and DCI-P3 color space coverage and starts at the end of March for 3,399 Euros.

The upgrade to the RTX 4090 costs an additional 637 Euros, and the display to the 4K UHD panel adds 248 Euros to the price. Until March 28, there is also a 100 euro discount on all SCHENKER and XMG laptops or desktop PCs purchased with a Windows 11 license on bestware.com.