Core i7-2630QM
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ASUS G74SX-A1 gaming laptop gets rated, loves a bit of Battleship
The 1982 Lockheed Sea Shadow may be rusting away in Suisun Bay, but its Commie-spooking contours haven't been forgotten. They apparently inspired the design of the Asus G74SX-A1, which just won a HotHardware recommendation for its cheese-eschewing looks as well as its performance, efficient cooling and realistic $1749 price tag. For once, the Core i7-2360QM CPU coupled with a GeForce GTX 560M and generous 12GB dollop of DDR-1333 RAM actually conspired to surpass the manufacturer's 3DMark benchmark claims. It wasn't flawless though: overall computing performance was middling compared to rivals; the speakers were shoddy when it came to producing music rather than explosions; and the 17.3-inch Full HD display was slightly wasted on some games that only ran smoothly with high quality settings at 1280x720. Still, all this naval talk makes us fancy some Silent Hunter 4 -- and that should play just fine. Check out source link lurking below for the full review.
Samsung Series 7 700G7A targets gamers with monstrous size and specs
Samsung has never really tried to court gamers with its laptops, but a glimpse its new Series 7 family indicates that may be changing. German sites, NewGadgets.de and netzwelt.de, scored the deets on this 17.3-inch behemoth and it's safe to say the 700G7A is a force to be reckoned with. Pushing pixels to the 1,920 x 1,080 screen is a Radeon HD 6970m with 2GB of RAM, while a 2GHz quad-core Core i7 takes care of any non-graphical tasks. Not impressed yet? Well, you can also trick it out with up to 16GB of RAM and a Blu-ray drive, to compliment its USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, HDMI jack, and Bluetooth 3.0 radio. The most convincing sign this rig is squarely aimed at dedicated gamers is the backlit keyboard -- the W, A, S and D keys are highlighted in red, while the rest of the spread glows a calming blue. The 700G7A will hit shelves in September for around €1,800 (about $2,600), though there's no word if said shelves include those here in the states. Check out NewGadgets' hands-on video after the break.
Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV78 review
When NVIDIA played its signature GPU number-bump card back in May, it made a point to throw around some big names. Alienware, MSI and ASUS each announced notebooks with the outfit's new GeForce GTX 560M, but one lone machine played coy, listed only as the "new Toshiba gaming laptop." Known today as the Qosmio X775-3DV78, it pairs 1.5GB GDDR5 with the aforementioned GPU, an Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, 1.25TB of storage split between two drives and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. So, can this heavyweight desktop-replacement hold its own in Engadget's review ring? There's only one way to find out. %Gallery-130544%
ASUS quietly releases G74 gaming laptop, promptly puts it up for pre-order
We're pretty sure someone out there is snapping up gaming laptops with spray-painted red dragons and speaker grilles that look like belt buckles, but we suspect plenty of you just crave something that isn't going to embarrass you at your next LAN party. Grown-ups, meet the ASUS G74, that buttoned-up fellow you see there. So far, we've found two configurations, both of which include a quad-core Core i7-2630QM CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M graphics with 3GB of video memory, 12GB DDR3 RAM (out of 16GB), dual 750GB 7200RPM drives, a 1080p display, Blu-ray player, backlit keyboard, and a USB 3.0. socket (along with three of the 2.0 variety). That's what the G74SX-A1 ($1,745) looks like, and there's also a $1,979 version with a 3D display, dubbed the G74SX-3DE. That generally matches what the new $1,899 Qosmio X770 has to offer, though the G74 is the clear winner in the memory department and, well, you can't put a price on taste, right? Hit the source links to pre-order, and find some fancy press shots below that promise not to incinerate your eyeballs with tackiness. %Gallery-126650%
Gigabyte's 15.6-inch P2532 laptop arriving in June with Core i7, we go hands-on
Here's a new option for those seeking a desktop replacement with adequate processing power: announced at Computex 2011 today is Gigabyte's P2532, a 15.6-inch laptop sporting Intel's Core i7-2630QM (2GHz to 2.9GHz), along with NVIDIA's GeForce GT550M with 2GB of VRAM, up to 8GB of DDR3 system RAM, 500GB or 750GB hard drive at 7200rpm, and a tray-loading DVD burner. In fact, there'll be two versions available: the P2532N that comes with NVIDIA Optimus for extra battery life, and the P2532V with NVIDIA 3D Vision but on a 1,366 x 768 LCD, as opposed to the 1080p counterpart on the former model. Otherwise, the remaining specs are identical on these 2.6kg (5.7lbs) laptops: two USB 3.0 ports, one eSATA / USB 2.0 combo port, HDMI, SD card slot, four 1.5 watt speakers with one woofer, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. Keep an eye out for this beast in June, but be prepared to shell out from around $1,500 if our hands-on pics below got your attention. %Gallery-124799%
MSI's GX680 laptop gets GeForce GT 555M graphics, up to 16GB of DDR3
Mobile gaming rigs don't tend to be particularly upgradeable, so it's important to get all the horsepower you can up front. With that in mind, MSI's latest is delivering a little more oomph than its last lap-warmer. It's the GX680 and it's rocking an Intel Core i7 2630QM processor paired with GeForce GT 555M graphics, NVIDIA's latest bid at laptop pixel-pushing supremacy. That card has 1GB of GDDR5 memory onboard, while the system itself can be configured with up to 16GB of DDR3 -- rather a lot for a laptop. A 15.6-inch, 1080p display is available, along with dual 750GB HDDs, which can be configured in RAID 0 if you like living dangerously. Blu-ray is also on offer, along with a THX certified Dynaudio sound system that is said to deliver audio "heretofore found only in cinemas." No price yet, but as always with MSI that kind of hyperbole comes for free.
HP's Quad Edition dv6t and dv7t laptops now available, Radeon HD graphics and Core i7 CPUs in tow
First they leaked, then they became official, and now they're at HP's online store waiting for your name, address and credit card information. The new Pavilion dv6 and dv7 laptops borrow liberally from the higher-end Envy line's aesthetics -- not that we're complaining -- and offer quad-core Core i7 CPUs that max out at 3.4GHz on the i7-2820QM when cranked up using Turbo Boost. The default running speed for that model is 2.3GHz and it has a pair of slightly slower brethren, ticking along at 2.2GHz (i7-2720QM) and 2GHz flat (i7-2630QM), all of which you can own on the dv6t or dv7t. Both machines come with AMD's 1GB Mobility Radeon HD 6570 graphics chip, while the larger dv7t also brings a two-year warranty as standard. Its 1600 x 900 resolution on a 17.3-inch screen might disappoint those looking for mad pixel density, though few would be able to complain about its price. The dv6t and dv7t start off at $1,000 and $1,100, respectively, and are subject to a $150 instant rebate and free memory (6GB) and hard drive (750GB) upgrades that should make them very appealing value propositions.
MSI's GT680 gaming laptop reviewed: potent at 720p, some battery life too
MSI is calling this GT680R the world's fastest gaming laptop. Spoiler alert -- it's not -- but if you drop $1,650 to nab one starting this week, you'll certainly be getting some bang for those bucks. Trusted Reviews and Hot Hardware recently got their hands on the first Sandy Bridge-equipped portable monster of a gaming rig, and found the experience quite satisfying on the whole. Though Hot Hardware discovered that the 2.0GHz Core i7-2630QM chip and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics weren't quite capable of playable framerates in the most demanding DX11 titles at native 1080p, lowering the resolution to 720 lines usually did the trick, and when it came to raw CPU benchmarks that Core i7 held its own against even last-gen desktop processors with little trouble to speak of. What's more, equipped with a nine-cell battery Trusted Reviews managed to eke out three hours of life in a basic productivity test, practically unheard of for a laptop of this class, though we suppose you're not likely to be carrying around this 7.7 pound beast for the sake of portable spreadsheets, eh? Hit up our source links for more details.
Santech can't wait for CES, lists a bunch of Sandy Bridge CPUs on new N67 laptop
Man, who needs to go to CES anymore? Intel's frailly maintained secrecy around Sandy Bridge processor identities has been blown to smithereens today by Italian systems integrator Santech. The company lists a now familiar Core i7-2630QM (quad-core, 2GHz) alongside an i7-2720QM (2.2GHz), an i7-2820QM (2.3GHz), and an i7-2920XM (2.5GHz), confirming once and for all that Intel has completely lost its mind when it comes to naming chips. Other specs include up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 750GB of magnetic storage or 160GB of the solid state stuff, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, and a 15.6-inch display that can be either glossy or matte, with a resolution of either 1366 x 768 or 1920 x 1080, depending on your preference and budget. Deliveries are said to start on January 27th and prices range between €1,200 ($1,577) and €3,000 ($3,943).
Intel's Core i7-2630QM Sandy Bridge CPU spotted inside an HP dv6 in Singapore
HP's disregard for Intel's officially scheduled Sandy Bridge launch continues today, with the news that Singaporean malls are already stocking Pavilion dv6 laptops with the new Core i7 silicon lurking within. It's the same quad-core i7-2630QM chip that popped up on a dv7 spec sheet not too long ago -- it runs at 2GHz by default, but dynamic overclocking and disabling of cores can take that up to the 2.8GHz mark. Keeping it company inside HP's 15.6-inch laptop are 4GB of RAM and AMD's Radeon HD 6570M GPU. The entire machine is described as indistinguishable, in terms of construction, from HP's current crop of dv6s, leaving the precious internals to justify a price of 1,899 Singapore dollars (about $1,460). [Thanks, Wayne]
Unreleased Alienware M17x spotted running next-gen Intel Sandy Bridge chip
Intel's full unveil of the next-gen Sandy Bridge processor line isn't due until January, but the products are already starting to leak out. The M17x is our second 17-incher (HP's dv7 being the first), and this time we've got in-the-wild shots and benchmarks to chew on. In 3DMark06 a 2GHz Core i7-2630QM machine running Intel's integrated graphics scored 15,940, while a 2.2GHz i7-2720QM with AMD Radeon HD 6900M graphics nailed a 20,155 mark, and a 2.3GHz i7-2820QM chip paired with a GeForce GTX 460M GPU did 16,957. Of course, these numbers are supremely preliminary, but it sounds like Intel's integrated graphics are (finally) starting to pull their weight, just like Intel keeps promising. Otherwise, the M17x looks to be mostly unchanged, which is probably good news for gamers, bad news for anyone hoping Alienware would pursue some new sort of "understated" design language in 2011. [Thanks, vikingrinn]
Intel's Sandy Bridge CPUs start to seep out, 2GHz quad-core i7-2630QM coming to HP dv7
Intel's Core i7-2630QM chip has made the leap from the company's roadmap onto its first spec sheet, courtesy of HP's dv7. We've come across a provisional component list for an update to HP's gaming laptop, which includes the 2GHz quad-core CPU as the star of its show. Now, of course, neither HP nor Intel has said anything official on the matter, but Laptoping has also been snooping around and found listings at online retailers for laptops from Gateway and Lenovo also offering the still unannounced part. It's not exactly a secret that Intel intends to blow the bloody doors off CES 2011 with its Sandy Bridge processor line, but it's reassuring to see vendors looking eager and ready so far in advance of the launch date -- it should mean no shortage of choice when Paul Otellini finally steps to the stage and makes things officially official.
