For those who won't even glance in the general direction of a gaming laptop unless it weighs in at 12+ pounds, you'll probably be unable to take your retinas off of Maingear's forthcoming beast. Word on the street has it that the aptly-titled eX-L will posses a potent 3.06GHz Core 2 Extreme X9100 CPU, which will predictably be overclocked by an undisclosed amount. Graphically, we're told to expect a couple of ATI GPUs or a single NVIDIA unit, while the 17-inch display, built-in speakers (with subwoofer) and 802.11n WiFi are pretty much par for the course. Pricing and availability details are still being withheld, but it sounds like this one won't be coming your way cheap.

It's hard to stop a rolling stone, don't you know? Just months after you figured you'd never hear of Rock again, the recently rescued outfit has introduced a few Centrino 2-based lappies of its own. At a high level (tenth time you've heard that today, office dwellers?), we've got the Xtreme 780 with a Core 2 Duo Extreme X9100 and GeForce 9800M GTX, the Xtreme 620 with a Core 2 Extreme T9500 and 512MB GeForce 9800M GT, the Pegasus 520 and the Pegasus 320. As for pricing, you can expect a mild level of sticker shock when the crew goes up for pre-order later today. Check the read link for the full rundown of specs -- try not to get lost in there.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Given that Gateway just pushed out a round of updates including the relatively ginormous P Series, we reckon it was only logical to expect a review shortly. To be frank, the P-6831FX critiqued over at HotHardware is far from being the most potent machine with a 17-inch panel, but unlike many of its luxurious competitors, this one is actually affordable. So, how much gaming joy can $1,349.99 bring you? Quite a bit when the 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS and 3GB of RAM are included. Reviewers found gaming performance to be downright remarkable, though the 1.67GHz CPU did hamper it a bit in other areas. It should be noted that the unit now arrives with a slightly faster CPU among other minor extras, so if it was good then, we're guessing it's a runaway winner now.

Okay, so maybe Cizmo's CX1730M is based heavily on Clevo's M570TU, but it's still one beast of a machine. This 17-inch monster packs a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 160GB SATA hard drive, WSXGA+ panel, a 2-megapixel webcam, dual-layer DVD burner (or optional Blu-ray drive), NVIDIA's 512MB GeForce 8800M GTX and a plethora of ports. Amazingly, this one tips the scales at "just" 8.7-pounds, which actually isn't half bad for a unit this potent. Additionally, it looks as if you can order this puppy in a variety of hues -- including the above pictured camouflage -- right now starting at €1,427 ($2,249).

[Via NotebookItalia]

No frontin' here: this is the most excited we've been about in the wild shots in quite some time. Not only do we have a veritable plethora of Envy 133 shots to glance at, but each one is high resolution and sharp as a tack. If you think your heart can handle checking out this slab of sexy from all angles, head on down to the links below and give it a go. From here, the only thing we're down on is that mirror they call a glossy display; otherwise, this thing looks downright heavenly.

Read - TheNextBench message board
Read - Envy 133 gallery

If you pulled the trigger early on an XPS M1730, you may have gotten "stuck" with "just" a GeForce 8700M GT or similar. If you just can't be behind the times, Dell is finally offering a solution with the GeForce 8800M GTX upgrade kit. Said package includes dual SLI 1GB GDDR3 PCI Express graphics card designed specifically to boost frame rates and install all sorts of Vista-compatible bragging rights. If you're comfortable with doing the swap yourself, the upgrade price sits at a penny under $1,100. For those seeking professional help, you'll be coughing up $1,218.99. For those of you not frozen in place by sticker shock, you can peek the how-to guide for installation after the break.

[Via Laptoping, thanks Danijel]

This certainly won't be the first time ASUS has shipped an in-demand item elsewhere in the world while USers ponder the thought of importing, but apparently the outfit's potent G70 is now on sale in the UK. For those who missed it, this monstrosity features a 17-inch WUXGA / WXGA+ panel, an optional Core 2 Extreme processor, twin GeForce 8700M GT graphics cards, 1GB of RAM, an optional Blu-ray writer, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth / WiFi and oodles of LED accents. Word on the street has it going for around £1,999 ($3,948) well equipped, but those blokes across the pond aren't too worried about a US release date.

Not to crack open a can of worms or anything, but we're honestly curious to see what the legions of Area-51 m15x / m17x owners would change about their machines. When launched, both rigs were fawned over for their top-notch specifications, but the m15x hasn't seen the warmest of receptions from its owners. As you well know, the 17-inch sibling just now started landing on doorsteps everywhere, and we're genuinely hoping that it doesn't present those same cracking issues as found on the aforesaid m15x. Beyond defects, we also want to hear what you'd change about a flawless m15x / m17x. Whittle down the weight? Change up the style? Swap out a few components? Go on and let 'er rip in comments below.

If your neighbor ordered one of these monstrosities, you probably felt the ground shake when the freight carrier dropped this bad boy off at his / her doorstep. If you were stuck in the cubicle during that whole ordeal, however, here's a gentler news flash: Alienware's brawny m17x gaming laptop is shipping right now. Initial reports from early adopters include phrases like "So huge!" and "Brobdingnagian!," which is pretty much right in line with what we were expecting to hear.

Not like it's any surprise, but Toshiba has just certified that the potent Qosmio G55 we peeked earlier this week is indeed more than a figment of someone's imagination. The 18.4-inch (that's the screen size) laptop is the world's first to pack the Cell-based SpursEngine, which Tosh is re-christening the Quad Core HD processor. Moving on, we've got the 17.1-inch X305, which includes a GeForce 9800 GTX, DDR3 memory, up to 400GB of HDD space and a red-flamed Rouge design. Lastly, the F55 comes in with a more common 15.4-inch display, GeForce 9700 GTS card and integrated GPS receiver / Garmin mapping software. The whole lot packs HDMI ports with REGZA LINK technology, Feathertouch multimedia buttons, an eSATA port and Harman Kardon speakers with a built-in "subwoofer." Check 'em out later this summer for a pretty penny.

Judging by the multitude of problems experienced by Area-51 m15x owners, we can't say we'd recommend said laptop without reservations, but those dead set on picking one up now have yet another design option to choose from. Yeah, the sleek Ripley motif is peachy for the milder sect, but those seeking something a bit more flamboyant will certainly appreciate the new Skullcap option (pictured). Initially, Skullcap will only be offered as a free option in silver, but if demand necessitates, we can certainly envision the company busting out the paint gun.

For those of you dreaming of a super-fast gaming laptop that's also adorned with a chic red and pink "flame" pattern, your days of searching are over. Enter the Qosmio X305, Toshiba's entry into the lap-cooking gamer notebook market. The X305 features a 3GHz dual-core Intel CPU, a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics chipset, dual 7200RPM 200GB hard drives, up to 4GB of RAM, and sports a 17-inch 1680 x 1050 LCD display. Of course it's also kitted out with a whopping four-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system as well as S/PDIF and HDMI ports. The pink powerhouse is set to launch July 14th, no word on price just yet.

Wait a second -- you mean ASUS actually had something other than subnotes at Computex? Tucked away in some surely obscure corner were these two gems: the 15.6-inch G50V and 17-inch G71V. The first of the two rigs was packing a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT graphics card, a WXGA "3D display," Intel's Centrino 2 platform, support for 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a pair of 320GB SATA drives and a sturdy keyboard built for gamers. The larger sibling was said to posses the same GPU and platform, though it was sporting twin 500GB drives and support for DDR3 memory / CPU overclocking. Beyond that, we're left to wonder what on Earth could be hiding behind those somewhat unsightly shells, but hopefully ASUS won't keep us wondering for long.

[Thanks, David]

We've seen this attempted a few times before, but it's hard to imagine OCZ's entry into build-it-yourself laptops will be any more successful. The new OCZ DIY Gaming Notebook is a 7 pound 15.4-inch backbreaker, which comes standard with an NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT video card, Intel PM965 northbridge, SATA support for hard drives, 8x dual-layer DVD burner, four USB 2.0 ports, ExpressCard and a fingerprint leader. The problem is that the "optional components" are WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 and a TV tuner, with only the last of those being truly optional on a regular enthusiast laptop. It's nice of OCZ to provide documentation and a warranty for those who really want to get under the hood of a modern laptop, but we're guessing most gamers these days would give up a bit of a customization for a straight-up well priced performer. No word on price or availability.

During the hurricane that was CES, ASUS managed to get in a word just long enough to make mention of a forthcoming G70 laptop. Now that the storm has passed, it's dishing out a full list of details to get gamers' mouths watering. The 17-inch behemoth features quite the vivid motif, and crammed within you'll find your choice of an Intel Core 2 Duo / Core 2 Extreme processor, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, twin 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GTs, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM and room for dual hard drives, too. Furthermore, you can feast your retinas on a WUXGA / WXGA+ panel and tickle your fancy with an optional Blu-ray writer, 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, gigabit Ethernet and 8-cell battery. Sure, this beast weighs nearly 10.6 pounds and packs more LED lighting than an LCD Soundsystem concert, but hey, you've got to flaunt it if you've got it, right?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]