Since MSI ventured into the gaming laptop market they have consistently produced the goods performance wise if the styling has sometimes left a little to be desired.

The MSI GX660R is no different in this respect.  Somebody has told MSI that to be considered a gaming laptop their machines must be swathed in red and if you can throw in an excessive LED light show then so much the better.

Setting the dubious styling aside, does the GX660R deliver the all important gaming performance or is it just another mid range device with delusions of grandeur?

It’s time to find out.

A glance over the MSI GX660R specification gives cause for optimism. The 15.6″ display offers a 1920 x 1080 resolution and depending on the spec you get either 6Gb or 8Gb of RAM.

1Tb of hard drive storage space spread over 2 drives in a striped RAID 0 array is a strange choice.

There is little speed advantage with a RAID 0 setup and if one of the physical drives packs up then you lose the lot.  We would much rather see a single drive doing the work.

Storage options are completed with a Blu-ray writer.

Polygon crunching is provided courtesy of ATI’s Mobility Radeon HD 5870 card.

It’s a fine piece of kit with 1Gb of video RAM and just about has the edge on the NVIDIA GTX285M.

You basically won’t get faster without going down the SLI route.

This machine retails at around the £1000 to £1200 mark which is a veritable bargain in the gaming laptop world.  This price point inevitably brings compromises and the biggest of these is the processor.  MSI have opted for an Intel Core i5-460M processor.

You can’t access any overclocking options from the BIOS but there is a Turbo button which ramps up the FSB from 133Mhz to around 140Mhz.

There is also a fan boost button which forces more air through the system and creates a bit more noise which is nonetheless bearable and never becomes truly intrusive.

So what is the GX660R like to use?

It runs fairly cool so don’t expect cooked thighs if you are using it in true laptop mode. The keyboard is bordering on terrible. The key travel is fine but when you get to the bottom it doesn’t have a nice firm stop, more of a porridgey feel.

The trackpad isn’t the greatest either with a distinct lack of sensitivity.  Neither of these things is a deal breaker in our opinion but it does point to the GX660R being built to a price.

This machine starts to make sense when you actually use it for its designed purpose.  Although it only has a Core i5 CPU it is more than capable of keeping up with much more expensive Core i7 machines and the gap closes even further if you hit the Turbo button.

You can expect playable frame rates in hardware testing games such as Just Cause 2 and Dirt 2 even with the settings turned up.

If your gaming laptop budget can only stretch to the £1000 to £1200 mark then there is very little to compete with the GX660R and if you can live with the slightly poor quality keyboard and garish case then this little dynamo could make you very happy indeed.

You might think that 3D is going to be one of those passing fads which is all the rage for a while then fades away into obscurity.

If you think that then you will be sorely disappointed. 3D TV and 3D Gaming is here to stay.

With Avatar breaking box office records for fun there is certainly a public appetite for 3D entertainment and Sky and Disney will be launching a range of 3D channels this coming year.

It is predicted that by 2014 a massive 61% of all gaming laptops will be 3D capable.

There are various methods currently being explored by laptop manufacturers to provide a mobile 3D experience. At the moment these all involve some kind of glasses whether they are the passive polarised type like you wear at the cinema or active shutter glasses like those from NVIDIA which sync to your PC.

ASUS have gone for the highest quality approach which involves NVIDIA’s  active glasses and a 120Hz refresh rate display.

This is a much more costly solution than that using passive polarised glasses but it is also much less likely to give you a headache with prolonged use and allows for higher framerates that gamers will demand.

Also the NVIDIA 3D Vision automatically transforms many 2D games into 3D.  The effect will vary from game to game but NVIDIA have approved around 400 games for use with the 3D glasses.  You can see a full list of 3D compatible PC games here.

Most of the worlds Games publishers have already signed up with NVIDIA so you can expect an ever increasing choice of full 3D games.

So back to the ASUS G51J.

The G51J is designed to pack a gaming punch with the following specification:

The 15.6 inch display and 1366×768 resolution isn’t exactly what most gamers want to see but if you want 3D then thats how it is.

The display works brilliantly in 3D but you will notice the average resolution when doing day to day tasks.

The 1.6GHz Intel Core i7-720QM CPU makes this a real powerhouse of a laptop and one of the fastest around.

This combined with NVIDIA GeForce 260M will provide blistering frame rates in 2D and as it is the only NVIDIA 3D laptop available at the moment it goes without saying that this is the fastest!

Don’t expect much in the way of mobile gaming. The battery is unlikely to see out an hour which isn’t much of a surprise given the hardware under the hood.

If you want a 3D laptop now then your options are sorely limited. You either seek out the significantly cheaper Acer 5738 3D which isn’t what you would class a gaming machine and uses simple polarised glasses for 3D or you can put your hands deep into your pockets and shell out for the ASUS G51J.

If we had £1600 going spare then it would be the ASUS every time.

Rock Extreme 790

The 790 may be dwarfed by its big brother the 840 but nonetheless with its NVIDIA GTX280M Graphics and all new Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Processor it claims to be the worlds fastest laptop.

The 17” WUXGA X-Glass TFT 1920×1200 resolution display is just the place for watching High Definition movies on the Blue Ray drive or stored somewhere on the cavernous 1.5TB hard drive storage.
To compliment the i7 Processor and high end graphics card is support for up to 6Gb of DDR3 1333Mhz RAM.

Overall this is a machine of big numbers and unfortunately that includes the price.
In this however you pretty much get what you pay for and the bells and whistles model is a penny under 3k whilst the less well specced models are available from £1999 and you still get the i7 Processor and the GTX280M Graphics card.

Pretty much every extra you can think of is included and if it isn’t there then you probably don’t need it.

The Extreme 790 is built to Rock’s usual high standards and is a hefty beast at 5.4kg
If the numbers are doing it for you then check it out at Rockdirect.com

Rock Extreme 840 SLI

As you might expect from a machine that houses two NVIDIA GTX280M Graphics cards the 840 SLI from Rock stretches the boundaries of what can be considered a laptop. The thought of carrying this monster more than a very short distance without a forklift truck makes me feel queasy. Weighing in at a shade under 6kg this is definitely a desktop replacement.

The 840 SLI is a slab of a machine based on a Clevo chassis that is well built if not terribly beautiful.

Blue Ray Bonanza

To be fair it is difficult to make anything other than a slab when you have to incorporate a massive 18.4” screen which is a quality item providing full HD 16:9 at a resolution of 1920×1080.

The SLI configuration of the two GTX 280M cards provides astounding performance allowing you to run pretty much any title with all the bells and whistles turned on and the resolution wound right up.

When both the GPU’s are crunching polygons there is a lot of fan noise and forget using it on battery power!

To back up the graphics card the Rock 840 SLI ships with Intel Core 2 Extreme processors.

If you opt for the nuts version then you get the QX9300 running at 2.53Ghz as well as 4Gb of DDR3 RAM, Three yes three 500GB 7200 rpm Hard disk drives, a blue ray drive and Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

This little lot will set you back three and a half grand though and there are various lesser options which can bring the price down to around £2300.

Overall the Rock 840 SLI is a solid, well performing desktop replacement gaming monster. There have been complaints about the trackpad as it is flush with the case and difficult to use but we can’t see many people using it with anything other than a standard USB mouse.

For more information on specification and prices visit rockdirect.com

The X80 is powered by the new Intel i7 Mobile processor and backed up with NVIDIA’s GTX 260 or 280 GPU for maximum gaming horsepower.

Both standard and pro models ship with 4Gb RAM and either 250Gb or a massive 500Gb of hard disk storage.

The screen bezel incorporates a 1.3 megapixel webcam and when you are fed up with looking at your friends on Skype you can take solace in the High Definition world of the Blu-Ray drive to enjoy some quality movie action.

Connection options are plentiful with Bluetooth, 802.11n WAN, HDMI out and Firewire.

If you are looking for value for money built in Britain Gaming muscle then the X80 CA could be the one for you.

A great option to consider for viewing all that HD content on a real big screen is an HD media player. Rather than have wires trailing all over the place you can enjoy your HD media files without hassle on your big HD TV with one of the latest dedicated media players.

Performance

It is pretty unusual to achieve a decent gaming performance in a sub £1000 laptop but MSI have done the business here.

The GX700 sports Intels Core 2 Duo Penryn T8300 Processor coupled with 3Gb of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT Graphics (with 512MB Video RAM) which adds up to make a potent mix.

Expect frame rates in the high 20′s to low 30′s even playing the most graphics intensive games.

The Screen is of good quality but the 1680×1050 resolution is a touch disappointing.  At this price point corners have to be cut if you want performance and as this model doesn’t have a bluray drive anyway the resolution is less of an issue.

The GX700 like most gaming laptops isn’t what you would call portable. Yes you can lug it around with you and it won’t break your back like some of the bigger offerings from Rock or Alienware but at almost 3 and a half kg you don’t want to do too much walking with it.

Also battery life isn’t up to much.  You can expect to creep over the 90 minute mark if you are putting the GX700 through it’s paces.

Specification

2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8300

Windows Vista Home Premium; 3GB DDR2 RAM; 250GB HDD

3 x USB; 1 x FireWire

17in (1680×1050) screen

512MB nVidia GeForce 8600M GT

Bluetooth

flash memory drive

Wifi: 802.11a/b/g/draft-n

Optical Drive: 8x8x8x4x4x5x (DVD-ROM/-R/+R/-RW/+RW/-RAM); 24x24x16x (CD-ROM/-R/-RW)

Dimensions 395 x 278 x 35mm

Weight: 3.4kg

You get a lot of laptop for your money as the GX700 is available for under £700.

Alienware have taken lumps out of their list prices recently so there has never been a better time to get some Alienware magic in your life.

Alienware on a Budget?

Lets be honest, the base model M15X isn’t going to blow you or indeed anyone away with its performance.

For your money you get the following spec (our recommended upgrades and prices in brackets):

A choice of the Skullcap or Ripley Design

15.4″  WideXGA 1440 x 900 LCD (720p) with Webcam (15.4″ Wide UXGA 1920×1200 (1200p)

add £116)

AlienFX system lighting in a choice of colours

Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium 32-bit with Service Pack 1

(Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate 32-bit with Service Pack 1 add £78)

256Mb NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT

As we are trying to stick to some kind of budget here we would recommend the upgrade to the ATI Radeon HD 3870 for £156. We feel that this is a slightly stronger option than the cheaper GeForce 8700M although if money is no object then get straight in the queue for the GeForce 9800M GT!

Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 2.1Ghz 800Mhz FSB 3MB Cache

Again the more you can spend here the better but going for a balance of price v performance we would plump for the T9300 2.5Ghz with 6MB cache for £194.

2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 1024MB

(4GB – 2x 2048MB add £116)

Single Drive Configuration – 160GB 7200 RPM SATA with Free Fall Protection

(320GB 7200 RPM SATA with free fall protection add £59)

We would be tempted by the solid state option which provides dramatically faster data transfer than is possible with traditional hard drives but at almost £400 for the biggest 256GB option it is a luxury that we can do without for now!

8x Dual layer DVD Writer

If you went for the screen upgrade then surely you have to finish it off with a Bluray drive.  2x Dual layer Bluray disc reader (also writes standard DVD RW) add £193.

Intel® High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192Khz) with surround sound

Non illuminated keyboard

We would add the illuminated keyboard (linked to the AlienFX lighting system) but only because choosing the standard keyboard currently delays your order by 20 days! So add it for £39.

Draft n wireless mini card in also included as standard.

So the base model as described is £899 and the options we suggest bring the price up to £1851.50.

Obviously you can shave a fair bit off that by omitting the Bluray drive. Sticking with Vista home premium saves another £77 bringing the price down to a more reasonable £1580.10

By far my favourite accessory is the personalised engraved nameplate, check this out!

That has to be worth the cash on its own!

As with all Alienware laptops the m15x is more a desktop replacement than something you want to carry round all day. It is much lighter than some of its colleagues at 3.18 kg but that is plenty and under any kind of hard use (why would buy it if not to subject it hard use?) the battery will struggle to last longer than 90 minutes.

The speakers are a little on the tinny side for a gaming laptop so it would be wise to invest in some decent speakers to take advantage of that High definition 8 channel sound.

Our review of the GX723 will be here very shortly.

MSI better known for their motherboards and Graphics cards have come up with a phenomenal gaming laptop with their highly capable GX720.

Specification:

• The latest Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology
• Windows Vista® Home Premium
• 17″ TFT-LCD Widescreen Display
• Exclusive Turbo Drive Engine Technology
• Exclusive ECO Engine Power Management System
• The Combination of Aluminum and Metallic Threads in Body Design
• The nVIDIA Geforce 9600M GT 3D Graphic Card with DDR3 512 MB VRAM
• Theater Class 5 Speakers
• HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) Output
• Built-in 2.0 Mega Pixel Webcam
• 802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN with Bluetooth

CPU Turbo Mode

With MSI exclusive Turbo Drive Engine Technology, while the GX720 is in AC mode, just by touching on the turbo button above the keyboard, you can simultaneously increase the speed of your CPU, also the computer will run smoother and to the best of its abilities.

Exclusive ECO Engine Power Management System

The GX720 selects the brand new ECO Engine; the outstanding and unique power saving function by MSI Notebook, the power management function is aimed to extend the battery running time while performing different tasks.

Touch the ECO quick launch touch sensor repeatedly to switch among the 5 different modes – Gaming mode, Movie mode, Presentation mode, Office mode, and Turbo Battery mode while performing game applications, playing multimedia applications, performing presentation applications, dealing with office documentation tasks, or looking forward to minimizing the battery power consumption.

The outer body is surrounded with the  flame design as an extension of the previous G-Series’ unique element, symbolizing the essence of speed, marking the total presence of the G-Series.

Furthermore, the new GX720 has selected aluminum as the base for our exterior, and adding the metallic threads for design on the cover, giving it an outstanding sense of fashion. The high quality feel of the body added with the flames as the concept of speed, the GX720 is a must-have accessory for the modern stylish games obsessed with speed, a totally new experience in gaming.

The  NVIDIA Geforce 9600M GT 3D graphic card with DDR3 512 MB VRAM
delivers remarkable performance for spectacular gaming. Experience more fluid, more detailed, more realistic 3D high-definition while gamingr watching a movie.

Theater Class 4.1 Channel Surround Sound Effect and Subwoofer

The GX720 is equipped with theater-class bass speakers and four track audio recognized by Dolby® Surround Sound, so you can experience total sound immersion when gaming. The bass speakers can provide the most shocking low-end effects for more realism in sound. Gamers will enjoy the total thrill and excitement of being inside the game while playing in the most boring places.

High-Definition Multimedia Interface

Via a single cable, HDMI output connector not only enables 5Gbps data transfers, but also provides pristine transmission of high-definition digital video and digital audio up to 1080p resolution- allowing easy connection of HD enabled equipment such as HD monitor, HD TV, or HD projector for the best multimedia experience. With this impeccable video quality, the GX720 offers you the best way to enjoy your favorite movie titles and TV programs.

The GX720 features the latest Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology , which uses Intel® Core™2 Duo processor and Intel® PM45 Express Chipset, to deliver innovative mobile solutions with unrivaled processor performance, stunning new HD capabilities, great wireless connectivity, and long battery life for full blu-ray movie playback.

MSI has announce that it will  “introduce the world to its first eco-friendly Carbon-Fiber Concept Gaming Notebook.”

No more details are available at the moment and it will be interesting to see how the eco friendly attributes compromise its gaming ability.

Time will tell and you can get further updates right here at gaming-laptop.co.uk