Tech News and Reviews
Posts tagged Laptop
Gigabyte’s 15.6-inch P2532 laptop arriving in June with Core i7, we go hands-on
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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.
MSI’s GX680 laptop gets GeForce GT 555M graphics, up to 16GB of DDR3
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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.
Google Cr-48 Chrome laptop preview (update: in-depth impressions!)
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Well, would you look at what showed up on our frigid doorstep this morning? That’s right, we are now the proud owners of Google’s first Chrome OS laptop — the Cr-48. Obviously, we ripped open the box and got right to handling the 12.1-inch, Atom-powered laptop. So, what does the thing feel like? How’s that keyboard? And more importantly, how’s Chrome OS looking? Stand by for our impressions, which we’ll be adding in depth over the day. First impression: this thing is different.
Mega update: We blew this thing out! There’s that video we already showed you, along with a way deeper dive into the hardware and the OS. It’s all after the break, and you’d be a fool to miss it.
MSI intros 15.6-inch FR600 3D laptop, complete with embarrassing eyewear
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If there’s a party, MSI’s going. And if there’s a bandwagon, MSI‘s onboard. It’s with this knowledge firmly entrenched in our brains that we present the FR600 3D. If you’ll recall, Intel actually tossed this name out awhile back when trumpeting its latest integrated graphics chipset, but now it’s the proud papa’s turn to make things official. This 15.6-incher is equipped with the expected 3D support, a Core i5 processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, HDMI / VGA outputs, a 320/500/640GB hard drive, DVD SuperMulti drive, two USB 2.0 sockets, a 4-in-1 card reader and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. You’ll also get 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a gigabit Ethernet socket, inbuilt webcam and a six-cell Li-ion battery, not to mention a bundled set of 3D glasses to really get immersed in whatever it is you’re doing. Per usual, the company’s keeping quiet on the pricing and release front, but surely it’ll be out by Christmastime.
Lenovo’s 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 laptop goes on sale
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Slowly but surely, each of Lenovo’s CES introductions are popping up for sale. With nary a moment to spare, the 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 has finally surfaced at the company’s website, offering up Core i3, i5 and i7 options, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, ATI’s 1GB Mobility Radeon HD 5730 GPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and a 1,366 x 768 native resolution panel. Plenty of options are tweakable should you not find the base configurations suitable for your needs, but you’ll be hard pressed to secure one for under $949. Well, unless you’ve got the patience of Job.
Laptop reliability survey: ASUS and Toshiba win, HP fails
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Boy, do we have a nice slab of data for you to sink your teeth into today. The 3-year service history of more than 30,000 laptops has been pored over, analyzed, and reduced to gorgeous comparative charts, which you know you’re dying to know more about. We should note, however, that the service was provided by SquareTrade, whose primary business is selling extended warranties, but that shouldn’t completely prejudice us against reaching conclusions on the basis of the presented facts. Firstly, netbooks have shown themselves to be on average 20 percent less reliable than entry-level laptops, which in turn are 10 percent more likely to break down than premium machines. In other words, you get what you pay for — shocking, right? The big talking point, though, will inevitably be the manufacturer comparison chart above: here ASUS and Toshiba (rather appropriately) share the winners’ spoils, while HP languishes in the ignominious last place, with more than a quarter of all laptops expected to suffer a hardware fault of some kind within three years. So, does your experience corroborate / refute this info? Keep it gentlemanly, okay?