Fujitsu Siemens rolls out AMILO Sa 3650 laptop, GraphicBooster add-on

Fujitsu Siemens has been showing off its AMILO Sa 3650 and AMILO GraphicBooster add-on for a few months now, and we even recently saw the combo put to the Crysis test, but it looks like both are now finally, actually rolling out to the general public. In case you missed it, the laptop itself is a 13-inch, AMD-based number (your choice of Turion X2 or Athlon X2 processors), with an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card, up to 4GB of RAM, and either and either a 250GB or 320GB hard drive. The GraphicBooster add-on, which currently only works with the Sa 3650, is based around an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 graphics card, and promises a 470% increase in graphics performance over the laptop's built-in graphics. No word on prices just yet, unfortunately but both the laptop and the GraphicBooster add-on will apparently be available at some "specialist retailers" this month.

[Via MobileTechReview]

[eggothewaffle @ Dec 3rd 2008 2:59PM]

1) PCI Express 2.0 8x external port: invent it and put that shit all up in the Voodoo Envy.
2) ???
3) Profit!

[Chase @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:02PM]

i caught that south park gnomes episode reference. lol.

1. steal underpants
2. ???
3. Profit

[1234321 @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:04PM]

#2 is license fee

anyway, I just have a hard time believing this one
first came the XG Station 2 years ago, no release
then the ATi XGP last year, no release
then the ROG XG Station reanouncement this year and subsequent press release, no release

[frank da tank @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:08PM]

Word on the SP reference! well done Sir. That is old-skool.

[Blacksheep @ Dec 3rd 2008 2:59PM]

Interesting concept and I may be interested. I'm always conflicted with laptops as I want to be able to game (at least with medium settings) on my laptops, but I also want them to be very light and portable, so it doesn't feel like a massive chore to take it to work or on a trip. This just might solve the problem as I'd only game with it at home. Hopefully it doesn't cost $3,000 +

[André @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:49PM]

It's listed at 8.995 Danish Kroner in Denmark, which translates to approximately $1.222 ex. VAT.

Of course the specifications of the notebook is not exactly anything to write home about.

13.3" TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )
AMD Turion X2 ZM-80 Ultra / 2.1 GHz ( Dual-Core )
4 GB DDR2 SDRAM - 800 MHz
320 GB 5400 rpm
ATI Radeon HD 3200 - 64 MB (AMD 780G) + ATI Radeon HD 3870 - 512MB
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

[Blacksheep @ Dec 3rd 2008 8:36PM]

Thanks for finding the price and doing the exchange!

Yeah, I guess it's not that astounding, especially the low res screen, but I'm using a four year old HP laptop that weighs 8 or 9 pounds, runs an AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 80 gig hard drive, 1 gig of DDR (that's an upgrade I did, used to be 512mb) and a GeForce 4 440 GO. So it would be an upgrade for me.

[cromas @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:00PM]

This is so smart! Why haven't laptop docking stations included this functionality for all of these years? I would love to have a thin, small, graphically underpowered notebook to take around that, upon returning home, could be beefed up via a graphics addon like this.

[kjb434 @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:07PM]

I like the idea you are throwing out with the graphics booster being part of a docking system!

It gives people the best of both worlds.

I am one who has stayed away from owning a laptop computer. Work will give me one when I travel for the trip and I just give it back, but having one that will be powerful when I get home and light on trips would lean me towards purchasing it.

[tom @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:18PM]

ACTUALLY, THERE IS !!!

Thinkpad Advaned Dock has a PCI express slot taking half size card, you can put in a video card (Available since Late 2005)

Who saids Thinkpad sucks? =P

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-61232

[cromas @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:21PM]

Tom, I love ThinkPads -- in fact, I've used an X41 Tablet for more than three years now. Sadly, that dock is not compatible with it or any of the X-series...which precludes it from my desire for a "small, thin" notebook to pop in at home =(

[hdragoonh @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:31PM]

that's a brilliant idea. have a twin GeForce 280 GTX and a sound card in the docking station, plugged to the 22in monitor and the 100 watt speakers, and then when you take the laptop itself out it's just an eeepc only good for emails and docs. that's probably something i'll buy for my next desktop replacement. my current one is the HP 9540us and it's still not enough for either of these things even for $1200.

[bioadam @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:44PM]

Tom, I love my work ThinkPads, it rock my socks off! According to the link you provided, however, the ThinkPad dock only works with the ATI RADEON x1300, which current integrated solutions can meet or beat (especially in the new MacBook). Does this limitation make sense or is this just a holdover from 2005 when the Radeon x1300 was the only half-height option?

[Jack_Frost @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:15PM]

That's what I'm talking about. The graphic booster would probably eat into the profits of Dell/Alienware and other Gaming notebook makers out there if you could just buy the graphic booster and have it work with any laptop. I'd sure as heck buy and use one with my inexpensive Acer Aspire.

[YpoCaramel @ Dec 3rd 2008 6:51PM]

Is there even a half-height card with the performance level of the 3870? That's all the IBM dock would take. And it is $300-ish, so when combined with a good graphics card gets you a really nice netbook and you can get a gamer desktop in place of your light notebook. Another route that is possible, really.

[Chad @ Dec 3rd 2008 7:13PM]

@bioadam

Unfortunately the X1300 reference is accurate. The previous generation Advance Dock (called Dock II worked with the T4x and R4x series Thinkpads) which had a PCI slot could accept most graphics cards as long as they did not pull more than 55W but the new Advance dock which has a PCIe slot has had problems with most cards I've tested. I worked with IBM/Lenovo engineers for several months and I was able to get an NVIDIA Quadro NVS 4400 card to work with the R60 series but a R61 flat refused to even POST with the card in the slot. In fact I couldn't even get the R61 to work with the X1300.

[palehorse @ Dec 4th 2008 2:11PM]

I've been waiting for exactly that for a long time now... every time one of these hybrid graphic enhancers comes around, it completely fails my requirements.

I'd like to see an external box or dock that will take ANY modern PCIe card (or two), allow me to use a decent netbook or small notebook, and connect to a beautiful large monitor. Throw in hybrid crossfire or SLI cpabilities, and you'd have the very best system I can think of!

Unfortunately, I don't think it will happen anytime soon... something -- i don't know what it is -- is preventing them from giving us these products... my guess is that they really are afraid of what it would do to their bottom lines. After all, they'd not only lose out on gaming laptop sales, their desktop sales might plumit as well...

[Chin-Poh @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:11PM]

Sure it will be released soon, but what about for the U.S? I think this will only be available in Europe as I never hear of Fujitsu Seimens here, only Fujitsu, or will it be rebranded?

This is a fantastic technology and I hope that when the Mobility HD4800 cards are released, we can use those.

Its a shame this GraphicBooster/ATI XGP only works with AMD Puma notebooks for now, AMD has a patent on the technology, I hope a variant can be produced for Intel notebooks, perhaps by Nvidia?

[Ray @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:19PM]

U.S. usually doesnt get much... thats why i purchase electronics online nowadays.

If the reviews for the Amilo are good, and i mean multitasking and batterylife, this IS going to be my next laptop. Im ready to ditch my clunky Asus for something a bit smaller!

[keithwwalker @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:13PM]

Isn't this kind of like walking into a singles bar with a trucker hat that says 'Viagra'? OK, it's an ironic singles bar...

[Ray @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:17PM]

No, its nothing like that.

[WarMouse @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:28PM]

no sense you make
brain a splode
*boom*

[keithwwalker @ Dec 4th 2008 6:26AM]

I guess it's more like a band aid for a subpar laptop...

[HunterXI @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:30PM]

Now where have I seen that color scheme before?

[Boards of Canada @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:40PM]

On my 4 years old toshiba m60 laptop?? Stop being an ass please.

[y3k.nik @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:41PM]

Give it 10 more minutes for you know who to say this color scheme was invented by you know what...

[Patriks7 @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:00PM]

Sorry, but I don't really see it.. TBH I have never seen a color scheme like that on laptops others than Fujitsu and maybe Toshiba and I have had many.. IBM, Acer, Asus, Dell and MacBook.. that's a damn lot of laptops for my age xD

[HunterXI @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:07PM]

@Boards: Aha, I see; you disagree with me, ergo I must be an ass. If you can't handle sarcasm, then I suggest that Engadget may not be the place for you.

[noi5ia @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:38PM]

but will it run GTA 4?

[Luke D @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:59PM]

I hope this doesn't become the new doom or crysis...

[arash @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:41PM]

fujitsu siemens is realy cool,i have one,and i fucked it up with 24/7 torrent downloading and after 2 year thats low end 500$ laptop with 1gb ram still perfectly run vista

[MRLN @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:44PM]

It'd be nice if they made the graphics booster compatible with most to all types of computers. It would save having to buy a whole new computer just to play a few more games.

[YpoCaramel @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:45PM]

Its a tad too heavy for a 13.3" notebook though - 2.4kg, or 5.2 ibs. That is close to a Macbook Pro - 5.6ibs, making this 13.3" not all that portable. By contrast, the similarly powered Sony Z is around 3.4 ibs. Of course, the external card is far more powerful than the 9600GT even on the Macbook Pro.

Personally I'm avoiding non-LED notebook rights now, but the concept is great, assuming you don't have to use an external monitor like you do for the Asus version.

Source:
http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/home/products/notebooks/amilo_sa_3650.html

[André @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:57PM]

My thoughts exactly but the MacBook Pro is nearly twice the price, although being a first generation MacBook Pro owner I know which one I would pick ;)

[joshky @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:43PM]

what im curious about is why the accelator is made only for this model.

i have a Fujitsu T2010 (brilliant tablet btw) and i was hoping the accelerator would be made available for my tablet so i can get some company of heros going (yes crysis too, but hey tablets + RTS = WIN)


;_;

[d889 @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:14PM]

probably more software based than anything else, makes it easier for them to make sure it works right.

its a cool idea, i would also jump to a laptop if it had a docking station that served as a desktop replacement, that would be bitchin.

[Hackettman @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:26PM]

It would be a huge jump for laptos if this came standar on all docking stations.....

[Hackettman @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:27PM]

Note Im on a portege m200 without a docking station hence my typing ability is hindered......

[Mik @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:11PM]

Why would you go to the trouble of developing an external graphics box for a laptop and then put a mobile gpu in it? Use a desktop chipset at least. It's not like you're realistically going to be using the external box off the laptop battery anyway.

[Smi @ Dec 3rd 2008 7:07PM]

That's really really nice.
Good spec, competative price. The added graphics thing is brilliant - smaller and lighter out and about, more powerful at home. Perfect, I love it. Really genuinly love it. Lovely design. I must admit, I saw it in a magazine I read and it caught my eye then but didn't really think about it.

Few questions, though! What's the performance of these AMD processors like? I've been looking at new laptops for a while now and I'd pretty much discounted anything that wasn't a Core 2 Duo (P8400 was my intended processor of choice, in a Dell Studio 15)

It's a tossup between this and the Dell now. I guess I'll have to wait for reviews to see how this, and the graphics booster, fare. And price-wise, how much is that thing going to set you back!

Does seem a bit strange they put a mobility card in the addon though, it would make more sense to put something with a mite more poke in it.

[Chin-Poh @ Dec 3rd 2008 11:59PM]

The GraphicBooster/ATI XGP uses a proprietary port so its not backwards compatible with current notebooks, this is the only notebook to support it and any other future AMD Puma notebooks....

[loosely_coupled @ Dec 4th 2008 9:47PM]

This is pretty awesome.. Even though this does not use one of ATI's newest high-end cards, desktop cards are usually so much faster than laptop equivalents that it should still be a huge boost. That said, They really need to update it to the new generation. This would be the ULTIMATE system when they upgrade that box to use one of those spanking new Radeon 4870 units!