SINGAPORE — One look at the frighteningly built Aftershock X17 and you can see it is not store-bought.

Custom built by three Singaporeans at their shop in Serangoon, Aftershock is a local brand that offers a range of bespoke laptops that you can design according to your budget and gaming requirements.

Gamers can opt for Aftershock models ranging from 11-inch to 17-inch, and the 17-inch Aftershock X17 I tried boasts a power that would shake other contemporaries to their cores.

The Aftershock X17 definitely strains to be described as portable — especially in the age of ultrabooks — weighing in at almost 4kg and with a gigantic power brick, you will need a large messenger bag to lug it. At about 5.5cm at its thickest point, the X17 will show that you mean business, for under the hood it’s all muscle.

And while it does not look as refined as other gaming laptops, Aftershock is constantly improving the looks of its laptops, and it does have a multi-coloured backlit keyboard for gaming in the dark. You will also need to bring the power brick everywhere you go — without it, the battery life is about an hour at Ultra settings on most games, and high-end games will also start lagging.

The review set I got was powered by an Intel Core i7 2.3 GHz processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 680M — which is amazing for a gaming laptop. Battlefield 3, one of the more graphical intensive games around, ran at ultra without hiccups — truly a joy to behold. At almost all games tested it readily trumped the slightly pricier Razer Blade, which we used as a benchmark. Getting your own pair of gaming headphones would complete the experience — Aftershock has said that there are no custom options for speakers that do not sound thin.

The X17 is definitely not for the road warrior who is always on the move. But if you want to game with the best graphics on a laptop, or if you just need that portable option, the Aftershock X17 comes highly recommended. It might not be the cheapest and slimmest laptop around, but the sheer muscle under the hood more than makes up for it — and Aftershock does offer other cheaper, and smaller options, such as the 11-inch Aftershock X11 which starts at S$1,210 and is also highly configurable.

Aftershock laptops are made only when you order, and once it’s ready you can head down to their showroom to test your new system with your favourite games, even tweaking parts after the order to make sure what you’re bringing home is to your satisfaction. Those with even deeper pockets can even go for a dual-graphics card Aftershock Titan, which can go up to S$7,500.

With the Aftershock X17 providing an option for the true road warrior, there is really no excuse for poor gaming experience wherever you are.

Ready to build your own laptop? Get tips from the Aftershock guys. http://tdy.sg/aftershockfeb6

Aftershock is currently having a Chinese New Year sale; check promotions out at http://www.aftershockpc.com.