Toshiba has recently empowered its flagship Qosmio series with two new gaming laptops: the Qosmio X305-Q706 and the Qosmio X305-Q708. These gaming laptops will incorporate Three GPUs in one system with the integrated GeForce 9400M and two Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS cards through SLI (Scalable Link Interface).
Nvidia is naming this triple-card solution as "Hybrid SLI" and it basically offers laptop owners the option of discrete graphics with two connected Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS cards for powerful gaming and then integrated graphics with the GeForce 9400M for lower-power usage like Windows operations.
Toshiba is offering the Qosmio X305 in two versions: the lower priced $1,999 Qosmio X305-Q706, powered by a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. It has a 320GB, 7,200rpm hard drive and the already mentioned GeForce 9400M and the two 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS cards.
For those with huge pockets, Toshiba is offering a higher-end version, the Qosmio X305-Q708 at around $4,199 with a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300 quad-core processor and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. It has two hard drives: 128GB solid-state drive and a 320GB, 7,200rpm hard drive. And of course, it will feature the three GPUs.
Both these Qosmio X305 gaming models will have the red-flame design and both will have the 17-inch Diagonal Widescreen TruBrite® Display at 1440x900 native resolution. Plus, stereo sound with 4 Harman Kardon speakers with subwoofer.
If you can get over the fact that gaming laptops are often considered a total waste of money because you can get much better performance for a far cheaper price in a gaming Desktop PC; Toshiba may be pointing us in the right direction. Still, many gamers argue that even 3 mobile chips are not equal to their desktop cousins and if you want ultimate gaming performance go with a PC rather than a laptop.
While there's a lot of truth to that argument, gaming laptops are catching up in performance and in price. Gaming laptops are using the latest technologies to improve performance, especially through SLI and Hybrid SLI where two or more GPUs are connected to give you a better gaming experience. Call it "Hybrid SLI" or whatever you want, but there's no denying laptop performance has greatly improved over the last few years.
Still most high end big brand names, like Alienware, charge big prices for all that raw power and style, especially on their fully loaded machines. However, for the prudent consumer there are cheaper gaming laptops that will not break your banking account. Some of these, like the Gateway P-7811FX do offer good value for your money.
Likewise, for those who want a mobile gaming machine and is not worried about the dismal battery life, can look towards the Qosmio X305 gaming laptop series from Toshiba for a solution. It should give you the best of both world in the same laptop: maximum performance and quiet operation. In a recent press release, Carl Pinto, vice president of product development for Toshiba, stated:
"We wanted to deliver an extreme-performance gaming machine that gives gamers a complete, non-compromising system in a laptop form factor... the combination of the NVIDIA GPUs and chipset allowed us to achieve a high level of performance, quality and flexibility that our customers are asking for, at a competitive starting price of $1,999."
Only the marketplace will decide whether these new laptops sporting three GPUs will fulfill that promise and usher in a whole new era in gaming laptops. At least now all the cards are on the table or should we say in the machine.
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