Dell lines up new quad-SLI gaming PC, portable desktop

Round Rock (TX) - If you have missed out on Dell’s first PC with four graphics cards, here’s another chance. The company just launched its second quad-SLI PC as well as a high-end portable desktop computer with a 20" display and an "ultramobile" performance notebook.

Click through the Dell XPS 700 and M2010 slide show ... (13 pictures)

The acquisition of Alienware appears to have sparked new enthusiasm at Dell to appeal to a younger consumer crowd that isn’t interested in your average mainstream computer, but is willing to shell out extra bucks for high-performance features and unique designs.

The company today announced the new quad-SLI system XPS 700, available from just under $4000, which follows the limited production Renegade PC and targets users that are looking for the most pixel horsepower currently available on the market. Decked out with goodies such as a Pentium Extreme Edition processor, 4 GB of memory, 1 TB of storage space, two "next-gen" dual-GPU graphics cards and a 30" display, the computer rings in at slightly more than $8500 - which is substantially less than a similarly equipped the cost of the Renegade, which was priced at $10,000.

Dell also introduced the XPS M2010 portable desktop - an interesting design which allows users to fold teh system and its 20" screen into the shape of a large briefcase. According to Dell, the PC sports eight speakers plus a subwoofer, a detachable, full-sized Bluetooth wireless keyboard and gyroscope-enabled remote, a webcam and a slot-load DVD drive. "The articulating hinges supporting the display double as a system handle when the system is closed, making the XPS M2010 easy to carry and truly portable," Dell said. The XPS M2010 is priced from about $3500.

Also new is the XPS M1210 notebook, Dell’s first system that is available with a wireless broadband option. For $180, the notebook can be equipped with an EVDO card that connects to Verizon’s EVDO service ; for 4230, there is also a HSDPA card for Cingular’s HSDPA service available.

The XPS M1210 comes with a 12.1" screen and comes standard with a dual-core Intel processor, 1 GB of memory and a 60 GB hard drive. Pricing starts at about $1300 with top-of-the-line models crossing the $5500 mark.

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GDC 2006 : Dell fires up $10,000 enthusiast PC