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Top 5 gaming notebooks

By Darius Chang
August 13, 2009

What are the two most important things for first-person shooters (also commonly known as FPS games)? Great gameplay and immersive environments. Though the former is entirely the domain of the game design team, hot-blooded gamers want, nay, need the latest and most powerful hardware. After all, how else can we run the newest gaming titles with mind-numbing frames per second at near-impossible resolutions?

However, immersive graphics comes at a price. For the hardcore gamers, only dual-GPU laptops like the Asus G70 and Alienware M17x will do. Alienware might not ring a bell for non-gamers, those in the know will recognize the brand as being in the forefront of portable gaming laptops in the US for years. Though Dell bought over the Alienware team in 2006, it was only this year that the distinctive alien head logo started appearing in Asia. However, dual-GPU machines are not cheap so for those on a smaller budget, powerful single-GPU notebooks are good alternatives which can handle almost any game but at a more modest frame rate.

Click here for a feature comparison table.

Alienware M17x (Core 2 Duo T9550 Processor 2.66GHz, 4GB RAM)

Outlook
Well known for breaking gaming benchmarks, the Alienware M17x can be equipped with a staggering quad-core processor and the latest Nvidia Geforce graphics card in dual-SLI configuration. However, this monster in the gaming world is also equally tough on the wallet and only the rich need apply.

Specifications: 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300 processor; 4GB RAM; 17.1-inch full-HD display; 500GB HDD; Dual 1GB Nvidia Geforce GTX 280M; DVD writer; Windows Vista Ultimate

Price: S$6,487.82

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Asus G70 (Core 2 Duo T9500 Processor 2.6GHz, 4GB RAM)

First take
Gamers rejoice. There is another desktop replacement other than the Dell XPS M1730 to come equipped with dual graphics cards. Those on a budget will still probably go for the latter as it has a much lower starting price compared with the S$4,998 G70. However, Asus' latest gaming rig combines powerful performance (with a 3DMark score of 9,019) and gamer-friendly features to give it a serious edge over its competitors.

Specifications: 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo T9500 processor; 4GB RAM; 17.1-inch display; 1TB HDD; Dual Nvidia Geforce 8700M GT; DVD writer; Windows Vista Ultimate

Price: S$4,998

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Asus W90 (Core 2 Duo T9550 Processor 2.66GHz, 6GB RAM)

Outlook
Though it's targeted at the entertainment crowd, this huge desktop replacement from Asus has one of the fastest processors and graphics cards in the market. The 18.4-inch W90 is also one of the first to sport the new Intel X38 that comes with three RAM slots, allowing this machine to hold a massive 6GB of memory. It may be a little pricey, but at under S$5,000 you also get a Blu-ray combo drive and generous 1TB of storage.

Specifications: 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo T9550 processor; 6GB RAM; 18.4-inch display; 1TB HDD; Nvidia Geforce 9800M GS; Blu-ray combo drive; Windows Vista Ultimate

Price: S$4,298

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Gateway P7809G (Core 2 Duo P8700 Processor 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM)

Outlook
It's predecessor, the Gateway P7804G, impressed us by offering speedy performance at a budget price. This update to the Gateway P series bumps up the processor speed while keeping this laptop one of the more affordable models in the portable gaming market.

Specifications: 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo P8700 processor; 4GB RAM; 17.1-inch display; 640GB HDD; Nvidia Geforce 9800M GTS; DVD writer; Windows Vista Home Premium

Price: S$2,988

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Toshiba Qosmio X300 (Core 2 Duo T9400 Processor 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM)

CNET Asia rating: 8.3 out of 10

The good: Good graphics and audio performance; cool fiery design; dual harddisk bays; sleep-and-charge USB and eSATA/USB combo ports.

The bad: Glossy keyboard picks up fingerprints; no TV tuner; lacks Blu-ray optical drive; display not full-HD.

The bottom line: Doing more than just putting in a high-end graphics card, the Qosmio X300 adds an excellent sound system and other features to the mix.

Specifications: 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo P8700 processor; 4GB RAM; 17.1-inch display; 320GB HDD; Dual Nvidia Geforce 8700M GT; DVD writer; Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit)

Price: S$4,099

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