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Test Setup

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Hardware Comparison
Model Alienware m17x ASUS G71 Eurocom Montebello Killer Notebooks Odachi
CPU Core 2 Extreme X9000 Core 2 Duo T9400 Core 2 Extreme X9100 Core 2 Quad Q9650
Memory 4 GB DDR2-800 4 GB DDR3-1333 2 GB DDR3-1333 4GB DDR2-800
Chipset PM965 PM45 PM45 P965
Graphics 2 x GeForce 9800M GT GeForce 9700M GT GeForce 9800M GT 2 x GeForce 8800M GTX
LCD 17” (1920x1200) 17” (1920x1200) 15” (1680x1050) 17” (1920x1200)
Chassis Alienware ASUS Clevo Clevo
Storage 2 x Samsung 500GB SpinPoint H6 2 x WD 250GB Scorpio Blue 1 x Hitachi 320GB Travelstar 7K320 3 x WD 160GB Scorpio Black
Networking GbE + 4965AGN GbE + WiFi Link 5100 GbE + WiFi Link 5300 GbE + 4965AGN
Battery 6,600 mAh 5,200 mAh 4,400 mAh 6,600 mAh
Camera 2 MP 2MP 2MP 2MP
Optical 2x DL BR, DVD+/-R/RW Combo DVD+/-R/RW Combo DVD+/-R/RW Combo DVD+/-R/RW Combo
Warranty Up to 3-year 24/7 phone w/on-site service (extra $300) 2-year hardware/1-year battery/30-day zero bright dot + free two-way overnight shipping Up to 3-year return to depot with tech support ($245 extra) 1-year global warranty/30-day dead pixel guarantee

Benchmarks and Settings

3D-Games Benchmarks and Settings
BenchmarkDetails
CrysisVersion: 1.2.1
Video Mode: 1280x1024, 1680x1050, and 1920x1200
Overall Quality: High
Demo: CPU-Benchmark2 + Tom’s Hardware Tool
Unreal Tournament 3Version: 1.2
Video Mode: 1280x1024, 1600x1200, 1920x1200
Sound and DirectX10; Window off
Video Quality:
Texture Details: 1, Level Details: 1, Demo: WAR-OnyxCoast-FPS
Time: 12/60
World in ConflictVersion: 1.0.0.9
Video Mode: 1280x1024, 1680x1050, and 1920x1200
Video Quality: low details
Demo: Game-Benchmark
Supreme Commander
Forged Alliance
Version: 1.5.3599
Video Mode: 1280x1024, 1680x1050, and 1920x1200
Video Quality: game default
Demo: WallaceTX_006_006
Benchmark: Fraps 2.9.4 - Build 7037
Start time 00:48:20 (60 seconds) realtime play

Audio Benchmarks and Settings
BenchmarkDetails
iTunesVersion: 7.7.0.43, Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 min, Default format AAC

Video Benchmarks and Settings
BenchmarkDetails
TMPEG 4.5 Version: 4.5.1.254
Video: Terminator 2 SE DVD (720x576, 16:9) 5 Minutes
Audio: Dolby Digital, 48000 Hz, 6-Channel, English
Advanced Acoustic Engine MP3 Encoder (160 kbps, 44.1 KHz)
DivX 6.8.3 Version: 6.8.3
- Main Menu -
default
- Codec Menu -
Encoding mode: Insane Quality
Enhanced multithreading
Enabled using SSE4
Quarter-pixel search
- Video Menu -
Quantization: MPEG-2
XviD 1.1.3 Version: 1.1.3
- Other Options / Encoder Menu -
Display encoding status = off
Mainconcept Reference 1.5.1
Reference H.264 Plugin Pro 1.5.1
Version: 1.5.1
MPEG2 to MPEG2 (H.264)
MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec
28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2)
Audio: MPEG2 (44.1 kHz, 2 Channel, 16 Bit, 224 kbps)
Codec: H.264
Mode: PAL (25 FPS)
Profile: Tom’s Hardware Settings for Qct-Core

Application Benchmarks and Settings
BenchmarkDetails
Grisoft AVG Anti-Virus 8Version: 8.0.134
Virus base: 270.4.5/1533
Benchmark
Scan: some compressed ZIP and RAR archives
Winrar 3.80Version 3.70 BETA 8
WinZIP Commandline Version 2.3
Compression = Best
Dictionary = 4096 KB
Benchmark: THG-Workload
WinZIP 11Version 11.2
Compression = Best
Benchmark: THG-Workload
Maxon Cinema 4D Release 10Version: 10.008
Rendering from a scene
(Water drop at a Rose)
Resolution: 1280x1024 – 8-Bit (50 frames)
Adobe Photoshop CS 3Version: 10.0x20070321
Filtering of a 69 MB TIF-Photo
Benchmark: Tomshardware-Benchmark V1.0.0.4
Programmed by Tomshardware using Delphi 2007
Filters:
Crosshatch
Glass
Sumi-e
Accented Edges
Angled Strokes
Sprayed Strokes

Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
BenchmarkDetails
3DMark VantageVersion: 1.02
Options: Performance
Graphics Test 1
Graphics Test 2
CPU Test 1
CPU Test 2
PCMark VantageVersion: 1.00
PCMark Benchmark
Memory Benchmark
Windows Media Player 10.00.00.3646
SiSoftware Sandra XII SP2Version 2008.5.14.24
CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia
Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark

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Anonymous 25/09/2008 09:45
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Your blog is very helpful to me.I have got good and useful information about Laptops,note books and coputers and it can be helpful for other users also.For Laptops and note books I would suggest This site:http://www.testseek.com/

leexgx 26/09/2008 07:02
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Please use Propper size pictures as i am not zooming every one (takes 3-4 secs to load each one when doing that)

even when i use the Print option thay are still in 200 x 120 pixels when it should be 450 x 271 pixels for both print and per page viewing

rest of the review is good

Solitaire 26/09/2008 17:22
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Okay, I have no idea about the battery life of ANY of the contenders - no mention of them in the text and that one vital image of the battery chart is missing from Toms. Good going guys!

Not that you can claim credit for any of the graphs on this article - all the rest are borked as well. They do show up - as tiny thumbnails. Nice one. Real classy.

Now back to the actual article subject, aka Rant#2. Hasn't it occured to the OEMs that we have a major niche going unfulfilled here? I can think of several nomadic user bases (how about students for starters anyone?) who want gaming laptops but who are unwilling to part with €5000 for something that has the same performance as a €500 desktop. Even with Centrino 2 bringing the RAM and motherboard back up to scratch the near-inability to run games such as SupCom and Crysis shows that the gap between standard and mobile CPUs and GPUs is now reaching crisis point.

You'd think that with such a large potential user base some of the big facs or OEMs would be innovating, but they ain't. AMD seem to have given up on mid-high-range lappies entirely, which give nVidia and Intel carte blanche to sit there doing very little (note to Nintel fanboys - this is what would happen to desktops if your hated AMD died for you - €5000 desktops to not-run Crysis). And yet OEMs continue to specify WUXGA screens that the tiny GPUs cannot hope to power, and all that HD clarity will go out the door if you drop down the res - LCDs suffer badly when running resolutions that aren't native or a root of 2 of the native (and the root-2 res for WUXGA is 950*600 - nonstandard and way too small for use!). Why aren't OEMs using high-quality (and potentially cheaper) 1650*1080 or even 1440*900 screens instead?

As for processors... if Intel really gave a damn they should have implemented mobile quads that electrically isolate half the cores when away from AC, halving TDP. Even without this some OEMs should have put in BIOS tools that overclock and underclock CPU/GPUs depending on power status (battery, AC...). Nope. Asus did try, bless 'em, but their lappy isn't even a high-end gaming machine! Desktop-replacers take note. Alienware should be taking notes - they could really do with those features, especially as their machine is supposed to be a gaming lappy - unlike Killer, who isn't afraid to admit their "laptop" is really a small desktop light enough to be carried :)

At least AW got the ventiltion right... everyone else still has easily-blocked fan ports on the bottom. Why hasn't Clevo tried to put some side intakes on their larger units yet?

leexgx 28/09/2008 01:30
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guess thay do not bother to read these posts any way
them pictures are to small mite be ok if my desktop was at 640x480, mite even be viewable on my PDA (if it was not for the best of media stuff)

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