Review: Gateway P-172X FX Edition

Price:
$1999

BUY IT HERE

The skinny:
Gateway's surprisingly affordable new rig is packing enough firepower to satisfy even the most hardcore entertainment junkies.

The good:
Get ready, there's a lot. The Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB RAM combo are good enough that they show off how Vista is supposed to run on a capable machine. The hard drives (two 7200 RPM 160GB drive in a RAID 0 configuration) are incredibly fast and responsive, which is great for gaming and video editing. The NVIDIA GeForce Go 8800M GTS is more than enough firepower, even for gamers, and it ran Unreal Tournament III without a hitch. Unfortunately, it couldn't help the fact that I totally suck at it. The 17-inch screen looks great at 1920 x 1200, assuming that you can find enough HD content to put on it. Also, you have to give it credit for being a capable gaming machine without feeling the need to attach 65,000 neon lights all over the place. It ran exceptionally cool, enough so that you can use it on your lap without worrying about frying up your sperm like some kind of sick, reproductive stir fry.

The bad:
This machine does all the important stuff fantastically, but there are a few minor changes I would make. The number keys have dark-colored writing on them, so they can be tough to see if you're in the dark. See, I told you they were minor. The screen definitely benefited from a quick calibration, but there aren't many that wouldn't. The 9-cell battery also provides long life but sticks out of the back so it won't fit in some of our normal bags.


Bluray?
With so much power and screen real estate, I find myself wishing there was an Bluray drive in place of the DVD burner, but not often enough that it would justify driving the price up. That's what the PS3 is for.

What?
The speakers on this machine are some of the best I have ever encountered on any laptop. I found myself listening to music without my headphones, something unthinkable on most portable machines. It won't replace your surround sound, but it will definitely cut it for watching videos on Hulu.com

Verdict:
We ran this machine through an incredible battery of real world tests like editing video, working in Photoshop and ripping DVDs and it was nothing short of awesome at all times. Smoking fast performance and a ridiculously low price point make this machine easy to recommend whether you're looking for a new main machine or a reason to toss your entertainment center in the dumpster.


The rundown:

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4GHz)

4096MB DDR2 667MHz SDRAM

320GB 7200rpm Serial ATA hard drive (2x160) Raid 0

Multi-Format Dual Layer Slot Load DVD-RW w/ DVD-RAM

NVIDIA GeForce Go 8800M GTS with 512MB of GDDR3 discrete video memory

Intel PM965 Chipset

17” WUXGA TFT Active Matrix (1920 x 1200 max resolution)

Integrated 1.3 Megapixel Web Cam

Integrated 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N Wireless Networking

Fingerprint reader

High-Definition Audio

9-Cell Lithium Ion Battery

Bluetooth 2.0

5-in-1 Media Reader

Integrated v.92 56K Modem

Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet Adapter

FX Design with Copper Core Accent

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit w/ Service Pack 1