Nov 12

iBuyPower ships Core i7-powered Battalion 101 W870CU gaming laptop

Posted in: CoreI7, laptop, now available, NowAvailable, on sale, OnSale, Today's Chili

You could certainly argue that many of today’s gaming laptops are fungible, but if you’re scouting a new beast with a Core i7 within and plenty of customizable options, iBuyPower has one of the few available today. The outfit has just launched its Battalion 101 W870CU, a 17.3-inch behemoth with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution LCD, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 GPU, up to 500GB of hard drive space, an optional Blu-ray drive, built-in 7-in-1 card reader, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi and Windows 7 Home Premium. It’s up for order as we speak, but you’ll be coughing up at least $2,505 for the privilege. Or, you know, you could just snap up ASUS’ Core i7-equipped G51J, which retails for just $1,499…

Gallery: iBuyPower ships Core i7-powered Battalion 101 W870CU gaming laptop

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iBuyPower ships Core i7-powered Battalion 101 W870CU gaming laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 25

Beastly HDX 18 no longer available from HP, dv8 to blame?

Posted in: gaming, HP, laptop, Today's Chili

We fully understand that the market for 18.4-inch gaming laptops is a niche one, so we suppose this all makes sense from a business perspective, but still — we can’t help but shed a tear. HP’s beastly, benchmark-smashing HDX 18 (and HDX 18t) has been forcibly removed from the outfit’s website, with even cached links leading to a customization page turning up “Sorry!” portals. The marginally smaller HDX 16 remains alive and well, but it seems as if the 18-inch dv8 is your only option now when selecting a larger-than-life lappie from the folks at HP. Gotta keep keepin’ on, we guess.

[Thanks, pyro92005]

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Beastly HDX 18 no longer available from HP, dv8 to blame? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 17

Dell’s $2,000 Adamo XPS launching October 22 with heat-sensing open latch

Posted in: laptop, Today's Chili, ultraportable

Dell has been teasing its ultrathin Adamo XPS for weeks now, but all that goofing off will come to a solemn end next Thursday. On the same day that we sit down with Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer (and a little OS by the name of Windows 7 hits store shelves), Dell will also fully reveal the planet’s slimmest laptop. The 0.39-inch Adamo XPS will cost $2,000, and while the nitty-gritty details are still under wraps, a new Business Week article notes that it’ll boast a “heat-sensing strip on the lip that, when swiped with a finger, glows white and automatically opens the aluminum lid.” The glamorous machine is part of a larger effort within the Round Rock powerhouse to revitalize itself and get people talking once again, and while this particular slab will obviously not be a high volume product, it could very well get a few more eyes pointed in its direction. Call us crazy, but we’re guessing next week is going to be a wee bit zany.

[Via Pasta Tech]

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Dell’s $2,000 Adamo XPS launching October 22 with heat-sensing open latch originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 13

Toshiba finally weds SpursEngine and Blu-ray in 18.4-inch Qosmio G60 laptop

Posted in: blu-ray, laptop, PC, Today's Chili, Toshiba, windows 7, Windows7

Toshiba’s beastly Dynabook was last updated in April, but at the time, Toshiba was still walking around with its chin up and refusing to integrate Blu-ray technology into its products. Now, however, the 18.4-inch Qosmio G60 (Dynabook MX in overseas markets) is finally bringing together a Cell-based SpursEngine HD video co-processor with a Blu-ray drive, ensuring oodles of movie watching bliss for those mettlesome enough to lug this thing around. Other specs include a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo P8700 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M GPU, 500GB hard drive, 4GB of RAM, twin TV tuners, Windows 7 Home Premium and a 1080p panel. If all goes well, it’ll ship next month (at least in Japan) for around ¥220,000 ($2,457), though your guess is as good as ours on a US release.

[Via Engadget Japanese]

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Toshiba finally weds SpursEngine and Blu-ray in 18.4-inch Qosmio G60 laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 13

BFG’s 18.4-inch Deimos X-10 gaming laptop packs twin GPUs, $1,859 starting tag

Posted in: gaming, laptop, Today's Chili

BFG Technologies, which could admittedly move laptops based on company name alone, has decided to actually toss in some unnecessary legwork with its latest beast. The 18.4-inch Deimos X-10 (likely a rebranded Clevo M980NU) is undoubtedly one of the larger desktop replacements on the market today, boasting Intel Core 2 Duo, Quad and Extreme CPU options, twin 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M GPUs, a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution display, three HDD bays for up to 1.5TB of storage, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM and a Blu-ray optical drive. There’s also a built-in subwoofer, four USB 2.0 sockets, HDMI / DVI ports, 7-in-1 card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 2 megapixel webcam and a bundled backpack — because, you know, it’s physically impossible to lug this behemoth around any other way. It’ll ship with Windows 7 and start at just under two large, though you can save 10 percent if you get your order in prior to October 30th.

Gallery: BFG’s 18.4-inch Deimos X-10 gaming laptop packs twin GPUs, $1,859 starting tag

Continue reading BFG’s 18.4-inch Deimos X-10 gaming laptop packs twin GPUs, $1,859 starting tag

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BFG’s 18.4-inch Deimos X-10 gaming laptop packs twin GPUs, $1,859 starting tag originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 03

MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be ‘world’s most powerful gaming notebook’

Posted in: CoreI7, gaming, laptop, msi, NVIDIA, Today's Chili, windows 7, Windows7

Man, Core i7 laptops just keep coming and coming (kinda like Arnold). The latest in what’s sure to be a torrent of companies upgrading their premier products to Intel’s finest quad-core battery killer is MSI, with the GT640. Though MSI hasn’t yet specified which of the trifecta of Clarksfield chips it has inside the machine, we do know there’s a 1GB NVIDIA Geforce GTS 250 taking care of graphics, as well as options for up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, half a terabyte of storage and a Blu-ray burner. Other notables include a two megapixel webcam, HDMI, 7.1 channel audio output and an eSATA input. While we don’t yet know the wallet damage for that red-striped aluminum alloy body, its Windows 7 installation would indicate a release some time around, oh, October 22 perhaps? One more shot of the keyboard and screen after the break.

[Via Laptoping]

Update: The German announcement for this machine has been more forthcoming with the details. There’s a 1680 x 1050 resolution, 4,800mAh battery and a two-year warranty among the things we didn’t know about before, and the most important thing, the CPU model, is now revealed as a 1.6GHz Core i7 720QM. [Thanks, Johannes]

Continue reading MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be ‘world’s most powerful gaming notebook’

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MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be ‘world’s most powerful gaming notebook’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 25

ASUS and Sager issue first Core i7 mobile-based laptops

Posted in: ASUS, CoreI7, gaming, laptop, Today's Chili

Not sure if you got the memo, but Intel introduced a few new processors this week at IDF. In fact, they were chips designed to work in laptops! While Dell and Alienware were quick to issue new rigs based around the mobile iteration of the Core i7, a few others are slowly trickling out. ASUS has just introduced its M60J, a 16-incher that can be outfitted with a 1.6GHz Core i7 720QM or 1.73GHz Core i7 820QM. Other specs include a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT240M GPU, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, upwards of 1TB of HDD space, an optional Blu-ray drive and a lackluster 1,366 x 768 resolution. Sager’s also jumping in on the action by pushing out a 15.6-inch NP8690 that offers the same shiny CPUs, a 1GB GeForce GTX 280M GPU, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB HDD and a 1080p display. As for pricing? Mum’s the word on the former, though the 7.6-pound Sager gets going at just under $1,800.

Read – ASUS M60J
Read – Sager NP8690

Continue reading ASUS and Sager issue first Core i7 mobile-based laptops

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ASUS and Sager issue first Core i7 mobile-based laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 23

Toshiba debuts Qosmio X500 gaming laptop with Blu-ray, bitten bullet

Posted in: blu-ray, laptop, Today's Chili, Toshiba

We haven’t heard all that much from Toshiba on the Blu-ray front since it finally bit its tongue and went Blu at the beginning of this month, but it looks like its now starting to bring the rest of its products up to speed, like this newly-revised Qosmio X500 gaming laptop. As with its predecessors, this is one big and burly laptop, with it boasting an 18.4-inch, 1920 x 1080 screen, a 2.8GHz Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250MNV graphics, up to 8GB of RAM, dual 500GB hard drives, and not just a Blu-ray drive, but a Blu-ray burner as the standard optical drive. No word on a price just, if you need to ask, but it looks like this one should be available in the UK in late October.

[Via SlashGear]

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Toshiba debuts Qosmio X500 gaming laptop with Blu-ray, bitten bullet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 23

Alienware slaps 2GHz Core i7 920XM in M15x, new designs on Area-51 / Aurora desktops

Posted in: CoreI7, gaming, laptop, PC, Today's Chili

It’s a wild day in the land of Dell, so it makes sense that said meshugaas is carrying over to the company’s Alienware portfolio. We knew that five new rigs were slated to launch today, and now we’ve finally got the details you’ve been craving (in official fashion, no less). Up first is the revamped Area-51 M15x laptop, which boasts a streamlined chassis and the entirely overused “most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe” tagline. Those with deep pockets can get this pup outfitted with a 2.0GHz Core i7 920XM (yes, that’s the new Clarksfield mobile Core i7!) and a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M, both of which should work wonders on your most demanding NES ROMs. You’ll also find up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 500GB HDD or 256GB SSD, slot-loading Blu-ray drive, FireWire, gigabit Ethernet, a trio of USB 2.0 sockets, VGA and DisplayPort video outputs, an ExpressCard slot and an 8-in-1 card reader. There’s no mention of a starting price, but before you even look, you should decide whether or not you’re kosher with toting around a 1.92-inch thick machine weighing 9 pounds.

Moving on, there’s the all-new Area-51 and Area-51 ALX desktops, both of which usher in yet another case change along with ridiculously fast / pricey innards. The standard Area-51 is a liquid cooled beast with factory overclocked Core i7 CPUs (as high as 3.6GHz), an array of multi-GPU options from ATI and NVIDIA, internal lighting effects and a handy door to quickly access the HDD compartment. All of the hard drives are loaded via a cable-free dock, and there’s enough room for six SATA II HDDs. The rig also holds up to 12GB of 1,333MHz DDR3 memory, twin Blu-ray drives and a pair of gigabit Ethernet jacks. The ALX edition, on the other hand, is the “most powerful desktop” the company has ever created, as it packs an optional 3.86GHz Core i7 975, twin 1.8GB GeForce GTX 295 GPUs and a power supply large enough to trip most household breakers.

Closing things out is the Aurora and Aurora ALX, the latter of which is the most potent microATX rig Alienware has ever called its own. The liquid cooled ALX can be equipped with a 3.6GHz Core i7 975, dual 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5870 GPUs and up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, while the slightly more affordable Aurora — which goes down as the smallest mid-sized desktop ever crafted by the outfit — can be upgraded nearly as much itself. Pricing on these rigs still remains open, but we’ve a feeling that’ll be cleared up just as soon as the new product pages go live.

Gallery: Alienware slaps 2GHz Core i7 920XM in M15x, new designs on Area-51 / Aurora desktops

Show full PR text

DELL FEEDS GAMERS’ PASSIONS WITH FIVE NEW ‘ALL POWERFUL’ ALIENWARE GAMING RIGS

  • All-New Alienware Gaming Systems Include the M15x Laptop and Aurora and Area-51 Desktops
  • Alienware M15x Features the New Intel(R) Mobile Core[TM] i7 Processor
  • Alienware M17x Laptop Receives Up To 145 Percent Graphics Performance Boost with Addition of Dual 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility[TM] HD 4870
  • Alienware Peripherals, Including the New Alienware TactX Keyboard and Mouse, Offer Gamers a Fully-Integrated PC Gaming Ecosystem

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Sept. 23, 2009 – PC Gamers now have five new ways to level up with a fleet of high-performance gaming rigs from Alienware, including four overclocked* liquid-cooled desktop systems and the most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe.

Jointly developed by the Dell and Alienware teams, and featuring the latest technologies for maximum performance, aggressive designs and unmatched customization and personalization through Alienware’s exclusive Command Center software suite, these systems represent a new era in PC gaming.

The All powerful Alienware Aurora, Aurora ALX, Area-51 and Area-51 ALX desktops and the Alienware M15x laptop join the M17x, launched in June, to expand the Alienware arsenal and reaffirm Dell’s position as visionary and designer of the industry’s most coveted gaming systems.

The News:

  • Alienware M15x – The most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop in the universe. Sporting Alienware’s acclaimed new mobile ID which debuted with the M17x laptop, the M15x offers Alienware performance in a compact package guaranteed to appeal to mobile enthusiasts and hardcore gamers on the go. The first Alienware laptop to feature a mobile Core i7 processor, the M15x also offers a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M GPU* and up to 8GB DDR3 1333MHz memory* to take on, and dominate, even the most intense game titles. Prices start at $1,499 and additional technical specifications are here.
  • Alienware Aurora and Aurora ALX – The Aurora is most upgradeable and the Aurora ALX is the most powerful MicroATX desktops Alienware has ever created. Featuring the latest Intel(R) Core[TM] i7 processors, including an optional Extreme Edition overclocked** to 3.6GHz, the Aurora line of desktops are designed to deliver the power needed for hardcore gaming, pro-level HD audio and video editing, 3D animation and more. To crank up your gaming performance, Aurora and Aurora ALX have options for dual 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics cards, up to 24GB DDR3 1333MHz memory[asterisk] or 12GB DDR3 1600MHz memory, respectively, and up to 2TB of hard drive storage – all in a compact, MicroATX chassis for taking up less desk space. Prices start at $1,299 and additional technical specs are here.
  • Alienware Area-51 and Area-51 ALX designed for extreme gamers and tech enthusiasts who demand only the latest, most advanced equipment, the Area-51 line of desktops features Intel Core i7 processors factory overclocked* to an intense 3.86GHz for peak performance. To max out your graphics benchmarks, these systems offer the quad-GPU power of dual NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 295 graphics cards. Other featured specs include up to 12GB DDR3* memory clocked at 1333MHz or 1600MHz, respectively, and six easy-access, cable-free hard drive bays that support both 7,200RPM and 10,000RPM drives, solid state drives and RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10 configurations. Prices begin at $1,999.

The ALX brand denotes a distinguished class of Alienware systems that deliver both unique designs and peak performance. Both Aurora ALX and Area-51 ALX offer technology options beyond their respective standard editions, allowing for higher benchmarks, extended future-proofing and all-around increased bragging rights. Aurora ALX features design elements not available on Aurora such as the Active Venting louver system, internal theater lighting and cable-free hard drive bays. Area-51 ALX ups the ante with an anodized aluminum body and motorized front panel. All Alienware desktops also offer CPU liquid cooling right out of the box which allows the ease of overclocking that deliver extreme computing.

Also announced today, Alienware customers can now configure the M17x laptop with the intense power of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 in both single and ATI CrossFireX configurations for up to a 145 percent graphics performance increase1. The result is an immersive, cinematic experience when playing the latest HD games and movies.

Alienware users can build out a complete, high-performance gaming ecosystem with the recently announced Alienware TactX Mouse and Keyboard, and the Alienware OptX[TM] AW2210 Monitor which features a 21.5-inch full HD screen for experiencing the latest generation games and HD movies in glorious 1080p resolution.

The Aurora and Aurora ALX start at $1,299, and are available for order immediately at www.alienware.com
The Area 51 and Area 51 ALX start at $1,999, and will be available to order in the coming weeks.
The Alienware M15x starts at $1,499 and is available for order immediately at www.alienware.com
The branded peripherals can be ordered immediately at: www.alienware.com

Alienware is one of two brand pillars within Dell’s broader consumer portfolio. Dell’s Alienware gaming brand delivers high-performance computing for enthusiasts and tech lovers alike, and complements the Adamo by Dell brand, which offers unmatched style, design and craftsmanship. Alienware and Adamo are the standard-bearers of Dell’s personalization efforts, which extend to the entire consumer portfolio, including Inspiron and Studio and Dell Design Studio, which reinvents the way people can customize their laptops as extensions of self-expression.

Quotes:

“These newest additions to the Alienware lineup represent the culmination of months of hard work, bringing together two world-class teams to create a family of world-class products targeting PC gamers,” said Arthur Lewis, general manager of Dell’s Gaming Group. “Our current offering of desktops, notebooks and peripheral products signals our commitment to providing the best PC gaming experience possible and to being the global industry leader for PC gaming products.”

“Alienware systems are, and always have been, our benchmark for PC gaming performance,” said Michael Tatelman, vice president of sales and marketing for Dell’s consumer business. “Through the Alienware brand, Dell is committed to offering gamers the richest possible PC gaming experience with the latest technology and coolest designs.”

“The new Intel(R) Core[TM] i7 mobile processor redefines expectations for performance, flexibility and extreme gaming on mobile platforms,” said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group at Intel. “We are pleased that Alienware has designed the Intel(R) Core[TM] i7 920Xm processor into their latest mobile gaming laptop.”

“As the first-ever DirectX(R) 11-capable graphics card, the ATI Radeon[TM] HD 5870 is the pinnacle of PC graphics performance,” said Matt Skynner, Vice President & General Manager, GPU Division, AMD. “By pairing the awesome power of this card with Alienware’s reputation for industry-leading technology, gamers can expect an unmatched gaming experience.”

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Alienware slaps 2GHz Core i7 920XM in M15x, new designs on Area-51 / Aurora desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 27

Ask Engadget: Best ultraportable laptop for gaming?

Posted in: AskEngadget, Features, gaming, GraphicsCard, laptop, Today's Chili, ultraportable

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Ron, who would just be happy with an ultraportable with an actual, bona fide, worthwhile GPU.

“I am looking for a 12- or 13-inch ultraportable that can also play modern games at a reasonable level, for less than $1,000. I know the brainiacs out there can help me out. Love the site, thanks!”

We know for sure that Dell’s Studio XPS 13 has the guts to pull off a few modern titles, but we know there are far more options out there than that. So, who here has a super small laptop with a discrete GPU worth bragging about? Don’t hold back now, vaquero.

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Ask Engadget: Best ultraportable laptop for gaming? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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