Dell Inspiron Xps Gen 2

[_matt_]

As we all know, Alienware has been the staple of all gaming desktops and computers, but the budget-based company of Dell may make most techies think differently. At least, that's until the [i]Inspiron XPS Gen 2[/i] was announced. This portable desktop will set the new standard for gaming laptops, and I'll tell you why.

Dell's new system has fixed such previous laptop problems such as performance, battery life and weight. Dell's revolutionary new weight-saving technologies set the Inspiron XPS Gen 2 at only 8.5 pounds (including its 17" LCD screen). The XPS 2 laptop is a great step-up from the previous XPS system which weighed 9 pounds with a 15" LCD screen.

The XPS 2 uses a Pentium M processor that clocks in at 2.13 GHz; the Pentium M also aids its battery life, making it last for over two hours (that's a steep improvement from other gaming notebooks that only last an hour). Additionally, the XPS 2 will use Nvidia's GeForce Go 6800 [b]Ultra[/b] graphics card, an improvement from its previous XPS system. The Ultra runs at an amazing 450MHz with 256MB or DDR memory (550MHz; 1.1GHz effective). Along with these impressive specs, the XPS 2 has a 17" high-resolution LCD screen (1920x1200), which is impressive in its own; especially for the XPS 2's light weight.

Although the XPS 2 has a slightly bulky look it's definately sleeker than its previous model release. Dell has even gone as far as creating an aesthetic quality with the inclusion of lights. The XPS 2 will feature three seperate LED light zones including the side fans, rear panel and front speakers. Each light is customizable by color (one of 16 different colors) and brightness level. You can even personalize the XPS 2's backside with a 8.5x11 inch picture. A nifty aspect, but nothing incredibly useful. Although some owners may not choose to customize their laptop cover given that it has a nice sleek shine already.

Apart from giving you seizures from the LED lights, the system will litterally cause your brain to implode. Pairing the 6800 Ultra with the Pentium M processor is downright dirty; it will outperform all but the most powerful high-end desktops.

The XPS 2 will be retailed at $2749 before rebates and discounts. The XPS 2 was released on 02/24/2005 (yesterday) with a one year waranty.

[u]Performance:[/u]
Doom 3, 1024x768, High Quality - [b]97 FPS[/b]
Doom 3, 1600x1200, High Quality - [b]65 FPS[/b]
Half Life 2, 1024x768, High Quality, 4xAA 8xAF - [b]75 FPS[/b]
Half-Life 2, 1920x1200, High Quality, 4xAA 8xAF - [b]41 FPS[/b]

(Test System: Intel Pentium M 2.13GHz, 1GB DDR2 RAM, Nvidia GeForce Go 6800 Ultra 256MB RAM.)

Stats from Gamespot.com.

[u]Specs:[/u]
Video Memory: 256MB

Dimensions: 15.5 in x 11.3 in x 1.67 in
Weight: 8.6 lbs

Processor: Intel Pentium M
Processor Data Bus Speed: 1066MHz
Motherboard Chipset: Intel 915P Express

System Memory: 1024MB (installed) / 2GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM - 533MHz
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce Go 6800 Ultra PCI-E

Display: 17" WUXGA active matrix 1920 x 1200
Max Resolution: 1920 x 1200

Hard Drive: 100GB 7200 RPM
Optical Storage: DVD+RW

Audio: Sound card

Modem: 56K
Networking: Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Wireless NIC: 802.11 B/G

Built-in Devices: Stereo speakers, subwoofer

Battery Technology: 9-Cell Lithium ion

Specs provided by Gamespot.com.

[Mountain_Dewroo]

I. Want. That.

[mashu]

very nice, but i would rather get a HP zd8000, cheap, but still damn fast, only thing is it uses a desktop p4 in it, so battery life is not great, but for a gaming laptop i don't care about battery life (hell, my a21p only gets about 27 min off a full charge, 4 year old dead battery and that's not so bad)

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping...lion&catLevel=2

^ if i was getting a new laptop anytime soon, it would be that, and a little pbook/ibook to go with it (to get work done on)