Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q708

This $4200 laptop packs a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme processor with four CPU cores; 4GB of RAM; and two nVidia GeForce 9800M GTS video cards, each with 512MB of RAM, set up in SLI mode. In addition to running in standard SLI graphics mode, the Qosmio X305-Q708 lets you dial down to use the integrated GeForce 9400M graphics; this increases the laptop's battery life (which is just 1 hour, 24 minutes in full graphics mode) and decreases its heat and noise. The laptop measures 16.2 by 12.10 by 2.5 inches and weighs 12.4 pounds with the power brick in place.

On PC WorldBench 6, the Qosmio X305-Q708 turned in a somewhat disappointing score of 100. That's 33 points behind the mark posted by the competing Eurocom D901C Phantom-X, despite Toshiba's inclusion of such components as a 128GB solid-state drive to handle the OS, and a 320GB hard-disk drive to store files in). Nevertheless, the X305-Q708 did a creditable job with Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Unreal Tournament III, cruising through them at high settings and 1680-by-1050-pixel resolution, managing frame rates of 52 frames per second and 75 fps, respectively. In comparison, Alienware's more affordable m17 posted frame rates of 44 fps and 51 fps on the same two tests.

Unfortunately, after loading this Quosmio with high-end components, Toshiba skimped on the 17-inch screen. It is fairly bright, displays vivid colors and sharp text, and even supports a fairly wide range of horizontal viewing angles, but its WSXGA 1680 by 1050 resolution is a bit underwhelming. Most other laptops in its class--even the Gateway P-7811FX (which costs about one-third of what the X305-Q708 costs--have a 1080p-friendly 1920-by-1200-pixel resolution.

But what you lose in screen resolution, you gain in visual flair. The X305-Q708 comes in a black and red case with reflective flames, glowing red LEDs, and lots of curves. The brash design won't appeal to everyone, but it adequately frames a generous array of ports, including three USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA port (which doubles as a fourth USB 2.0 port), an Express Card 54 slot, and a four-pin FireWire port. You also get a modem port (tucked away beneath a hard-to-open plastic port cover), a multiformat flash card reader, and built-in support for a wireless USB device. On the video front, the Qosmio X305-Q708 provides VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort outputs. Since this pricey laptop fully supports 1080p resolution when outputting video to an external monitor, it's a shame that there isn't a Blu-ray drive.

The laptop's keyboard sports a superglossy coating that looks fairly sleek but makes the keys unusually slippery. Most of the keyboard (which comes complete with a four-column number pad) feels full-size, but the spacebar is extremely narrow. You'll also notice some flexing as you type, and overall the keyboard feels thin and cheap. The touchpad, which sits flush with the palm rests, has a fine grain texture that distinguishes it from the rest of the body. The effect is attractive, but often the right side of my palm would touch it as I was typed, moving the cursor somewhere else in the document--to my intense frustration.

The Qosmio X305-Q708 excels in delivering pitch-perfect sound, thanks to four Harman/Kardon speakers and an embedded subwoofer. Games, music, and movies all sounded superb, with a wide range of highs, mids, and lows. Even at full volume, the audio exhibited no noticeable distortion. Though the speakers sound great on their own, the included Dolby Control Center software can deliver remarkably effective simulated surround sound--as long as you sit directly in front of the machine. Unfortunately, the lower-left speaker sits directly beneath your left wrist as you type, muffling the sound significantly.

On the software side, Toshiba refrained from installing a bunch of bloatware on this laptop. Besides Windows Vista Ultimate, an Office trial, and various CD/DVD applications, this is a clean laptop. Toshiba does include a number of its own apps, including a voice command utility, and facial recognition software. The voice application worked adequately after calibration, but ambient sounds--even the clicking of the keyboard--caused it to open and close applications. Similarly, the system's face-recognition software, which lets you log in without using a password, worked well enough--but only when there was sufficient ambient light.

For a desktop replacement laptop--a category filled with oversize eye-grabbers like the HP HDX18 and the Alienware m17--Toshiba's Qosmio X350-Q708 is an extrovert. 

Toshiba Satellite X205-S9359

This big multimedia notebook is for on-the-go gamers and TV fans. The Toshiba Satellite X205-S9359 handles 3D shooters with aplomb, plus it comes bundled with an add-on TV tuner and remote control for watching shows. For work, productivity applications are also included in the laptop's $2400 (as of 10/9/07) price. Regardless of your pursuit, the big screen and twin hard drives make for very comfortable desktop computing. Just don't count on long battery life.

The X205-S9359 is a preconfigured retail model distinguished by a swirly red and black "carmine flare" lid that for a gaming notebook is downright tasteful. A very similar-looking model, the X205-S9349, is $500 less but has only half the video memory and storage. That configuration might be fine for multimedia dabblers, but for full-throttle entertainment, opt for the X205-S9359.

In our tests, Word and Photoshop ran quickly and 3D games looked good. Equipped with a 2-GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 512MB nVidia GeForce Go 8700M GT dedicated graphics card, the laptop logged a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 76, putting it in the middle of a tightly grouped pack of similarly equipped, high-performing desktop replacements. For instance, a Fujitsu LifeBook A6030 and an Acer Aspire 5920G scored a point better at 77, but the X205-S9359 bested a Toshiba Qosmio G45 AV-680 that earned a mark of 74. Among all currently tested desktop replacements, the X205-S9359 scored one point better than the average of 75. It also aced our gaming tests with a frame rate of 84 in Doom 3 and a scorching 122 frames per second in Far Cry. Battery life was only average for a desktop replacement, though, at 2.5 hours.

The design is good overall. The X205-S9359 is typically heavy at 8.7 pounds (the average among currently tested desktop replacements is 8.8 pounds), but it has two 160GB hard drives and four built-in Harman/Kardon speakers backed by a bottom subwoofer for rich, satisfying sound. The Toshiba USB HDTV Tuner and brick-like power adapter bring the weight to a chunky 11 pounds. Dropped hinges on the 17-inch screen, however, give the total package a remarkably low profile. The screen itself, a 17-inch 1680-by-1050-pixel display with Toshiba's patented TruBrite glossy finish, is reflective; I had to experiment with tilting the notebook and lowering the office shades that were behind the notebook. Otherwise, it's easy to read.

The laptop is plentifully supplied with the kinds of ports, connections, and other features that you might expect of a better-than-average entertainment portable. Chief among them are an HD DVD player, a built-in Webcam, and an HDMI port for connecting a plasma screen. The generous nonmultimedia features include a gaggle of USB ports--six in all--and a keyboard with several nice extras. One is a dedicated number pad; another is Toshiba's unique dual-mode touchpad, which you can switch to a set of virtual quick-launch buttons with the tap of a finger in the upper-right corner. Microsoft Works 8.5 rounds out the offering.

If you're looking for a mainstream or inexpensive notebook, the X205-S9359 will be too much bang for too many bucks. But if a strong gaming notebook that can also feed your TV addiction and comes with Microsoft Word and Excel sounds like the ideal portable to you, look no further.

Sony VGN-NR485

A Windows Vista Home Premium laptop powered by a 2-GHz Core 2 Duo T5750 and 2GB of RAM, the VGN-NR485 bagged a respectable WorldBench 6 score of 75. That's pretty solid performance for a laptop that stands among the cheapest machines on our current Top 10 All-Purpose Laptops chart (as of 10/29/08). It sells for $849 ($200 more than Toshiba's bargain-basement Satellite Pro L300D-EZ1001V, which the Sony bested by roughly 20 points in WorldBench 6 tests). It has the speed to handle almost any kind of application. The only performance problem we encountered was in our 3D gaming tests, which the VGN-NR485 couldn't run because of its lousy integrated Intel graphics chip.

The 6.2-pound laptop managed to last long enough in our battery life tests. It fell just short of 4 hours (3 hours, 56 minutes), ranking toward the top of the leaderboard. Surpassing this value unit was Lenovo's ThinkPad SL400, which costs $1223 and has an optional high-powered battery; it lasted 5 hours, 8 minutes in our tests as a result of the add-on.

As for features, the 14.2-by-10.6-by-1.5-inch VGN-NR485 packs a fair amount of punch, including dedicated front-mounted SD and Memory Stick slots, four USB ports, and an ExpressCard/34 slot. Typical for a sub-$1000 laptop, the optical drive is a standard (not high-definition) DVD burner. Beneath the stylish navy blue waffle exterior lies an impressively large 200GB hard drive. You can't reach it for upgrades, but barring a failure you shouldn't need to replace it. Though the 15.4-inch screen has a high-gloss finish that tends to reflect overhead lights, it's very bright and has an easy-to-read 1280-by-800-pixel resolution.

The keyboard is a matter of taste. If you can ignore the somewhat short stroke, it's comfortable, featuring keys with spacious flat tops. You also get two reprogrammable shortcut buttons, a mute button, and an A/V-mode button that launches the Windows Media menu.

The stereo speakers don't sound very good, not surprising for a Sony notebook. The volume is serviceable for low-key music and system sounds, but the bass tones are almost nonexistent. Don't leave home without your headphones.

One other small complaint: The on-screen manual, while thorough, doesn't link the laptop's labeled parts. Instead of being able to click on a label, you must type the part's name (for example, the A/V-mode button) into the search box to read a description. Pretty lame, but a minor issue.

If keeping to a budget is your top concern, these are small concessions to make. A solid performer with all the most important connections, loads of storage, and an eye-catching dark-blue finish, the Sony VGN-NR485 is a sweet little deal for the under-$1000 crowd