Top 5 gaming notebooks
What are
the two most important things for first person shooters (also commonly known as
FPS games)? Great game play and immersive environments. Though the former is
entirely the domain of the game design team, hot-blooded gamers want, nay need,
the latest hardware. After all, how else can we run the latest gaming titles
with mind-numbing frames per second at near-impossible resolutions.
The
next generation of games are built upon the DirectX 10 platform which first
appeared with the Windows Vista operating system. As you can see from the
images, the difference in character detail between this and the last-generation
DirectX 9 titles is nothing short of amazing.
However, immersive
graphics comes at a price. For desktops, this means getting a top-of-the-line
graphics card (GPU) such as the Nvidia GeForce 8000 series or ATI Radeon HD 2000 series
chipset. When it comes to notebooks, things are a little simpler as most Santa
Rosa portables with discrete GPUs are DirectX 10 compatible. We take a look at
the latest mobile gaming rigs with high-end GPUs you'll want to get for your
next frag fest.
 Click here for a feature comparison table.
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1. |
Dell
XPS M1730 (Core 2 Extreme X7900 Processor 2.8GHz, 3GB RAM)
CNET Asia rating: 8.4 out of 10
The good: Excellent
gaming performance; inexpensive for a high-end dual graphics card system;
options for Intel Core 2 Extreme processor and Blu-ray drive; backlit
keyboard; GamePanel LCD as a secondary data display; high-resolution
1920x1200 panel.
The bad: Barely
portable; no HDMI or VGA output; no subwoofer; lacks TV tuner; noisy
particularly when running full load.
The bottom
line: When most desktops replacements tend to target power users
or entertainment seekers, the Dell XPS M1730 makes no bones about being a
gaming machine. At under S$4,000 for the base configuration
with dual graphics cards, it offers great value for the gaming community.
Graphics card: Dual
Nvidia Geforce 8700M GT with 512MB discrete memory
3DMark06 score: 7989
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2. |
Acer
Aspire 5920G (Core 2 Duo T7300 Processor 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM)
CNET Asia rating: 6.8 out of 10
The good: High-end
specifications; excellent performance; brilliant screen.
The bad: Grey
coloring; misplaced USB port; overall design.
The bottom line: The
Aspire 5920G is a candidate for the ugliest laptop of the year. It's
smeared in enough grey to put British skies to shame, and has had some
absolutely awful design touches. But the rest of the laptop is a very good
one. It's fast, feature-packed and is excellent value for money.
Graphics
card: Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT with 1GB TurboCache memory
3DMark06
score: 3,288
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3. |
Toshiba
Qosmio G40 (Core 2 Duo T7300 Processor 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM)
CNET Asia rating: 7.9 out of 10
The good: Integrated
Webcam; powerful graphics performance; strong multimedia features; unique
Plug-and-Charge USB port; 1GB Intel Turbo Memory.
The bad: No Draft-N
wireless radio; dedicated numeric keypad absent; high-maintenance glossy
surface.
The bottom
line: Like its predecessor, the Qosmio G30, Toshiba's flagship multimedia desktop
replacement offers a complete suite of entertainment features. But unlike
its forebear, the Qosmio G40 is based on a new, slimmer design with a
couple of tricks up its sleeve.
Graphics
card: Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB dedicated memory
(1,276MB TurboCache)
3DMark06
score: 2,945
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4. |
BenQ
JoyBook S41 (Core 2 Duo T7100 Processor 1.8GHz, 1GB RAM)
CNET Asia rating: 7.1 out of 10
The good: Integrated
Webcam; powerful graphics performance; inexpensive.
The bad: Basic
warranty coverage; no multimedia buttons; underpowered speakers.
The bottom line: As
possibly the only 14.1-inch machine to hold the powerful Nvidia GeForce
8600M GS graphics card, the JoyBook S41 offers fantastic performance for a
portable unit. If only it had dedicated multimedia buttons and better
internal speakers.
Graphics
card: Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS with 1GB TurboCache memory
3DMark06
score: 2,743
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5. |
Asus
G2S (Core 2 Duo T7500 Processor 2.2GHz, 2GB RAM)
Outlook
As the Santa Rosa version of the Asus G2, the faster platform coupled with a high-end
Nvidia graphics chip should bring most current games to its knees. Thanks
to its DirectX 10 compatibility, it should also have no problems running
next-generation titles, either.
Graphics
card: Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT with 256MB discrete memory
3DMark06 score: Not
available
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