Showing posts with label quad core. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quad core. Show all posts

3/25/2012

eVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard 122-CK-NF68-A1 Review

eVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard 122-CK-NF68-A1
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I just got this thing in the other day. Installed it in a Cooler Master 690 case. Fastened my Intel Quad Core Q6600 with 4 gig of ram and 8800 GT video card. The Zalman 9700 heatsink fits nicely. What can I say this thing screams.

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The eVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 nForce 680i SLI 775 ATX Motherboard, A1 Version supports Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium EE, and Pentium processors. The card's NVIDIA SLI technology dramatically scales performance by allowing two graphics cards to be run in parallel, and its featured NVIDIA Native Gigabit Ethernet offers the fastest Gigabit Ethernet performance you'll find anywhere, eliminating network bottlenecks and improving overall system efficiency and performance.The eVGA 780i SLI features three 16x PCI express slots, PCI express 2.0, and full support for Intel 45nm Core 2 CPUs. The three 16x PCI express slots provide the best platform for NVIDIA 3-way SLI, the latest in SLI technology. The EVGA 780i is ESA (Enthusiast System Architecture) certified, which provides the best monitoring and fine tuning of your PC.A third PCI-Express expansion slot provides future support for three GPU applications, and NVIDIA RAID technology implements standard RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 0+1 techniques to maximize storage assets. NVIDIA RAID technology also introduces many innovations that simplify and optimize the management of RAID features and disk resources. NVIDIA's patent-pending isochronous StreamThru Data Transport System provides uninterrupted data streaming for superior networking and broadband communications. StreamThru assists in making streaming video and audio smoother and jitter-free.Unified Driver Architecture guarantees forward and backward compatibility with software drivers and simplifies upgrading to a new NVIDIA product because all NVIDIA products work with the same driver software. And NVIDIA's nTune Performance Application enables the easiest, safest, and highest performing overclocking available for NVIDIA nForce-based PCs.What's in the Box nForce 680i SLI motherboard, I/O shield, floppy cable, three 2-port SATA power cable, 1394 cable, 4-port USB cable, six SATA signal cables, comm2 bracket cable, IDE-ATA133 HDD cable, SLI connector, and chipset fan.

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2/13/2012

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q898 18.4-Inch Laptop (Fusion Finish in Omega Black) Review

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q898 18.4-Inch Laptop (Fusion Finish in Omega Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This product deserves 4.5 stars. It is almost perfect but for the small SSD supplied.
I have used laptops of various sizes, 12" to 15" and now 18.4".
I was looking for a laptop which had a fantastic keyboard (ala "Lenovo") and sufficient GPU power for the latest games. Not that I'm a hardcore gamer but I was looking for a new laptop which could last longer (in terms of obsolescence) as nowadays it is the GPU rather than the CPU which determines whether or not your laptop is capable of running games.
Without further ado, here's the reasons why I bought this unit. No offence to owners of the other brands but I had to eliminate other popular choices due to the reasons below. I actually narrowed down my final choice of a new laptop to either SAGER or TOSHIBA.
PROS
1. Keyboard
A full keyboard (backlit!) is provided along with a full numberpad.
For me, the keyboard design was really important. I have used a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop before and their keyboards were (and still are) really the best for typing.
Yes, even better than this unit.
H/w, this Toshiba unit has the edge over Alienware and SAGER/CLEVO units where the keyboard is concerned. I actually went to a real store to check out the Alienware laptops but just did not like the feel of their keyboards. I also do not like the way SAGER/CLEVO removed some of the keys on their numberpad.
BTW, the MSI GX/GT 660 series deserves honorable mention for their keyboard design. I like the look on it. H/W some reviewers have claimed that there is a certain amount of flex, hence I did not go for the MSI units.
2. Battery Life
Granted, most people would not move a desktop replacement unit around much. H/w, this unit is listed as being able to last 3hr 47mins on battery power.
I have tested this unit, running on battery, it lasted 1hr 35mins with maximum LCD brightness settings. I have no doubt that it could really reach 3 hrs + if I had run on the Toshiba ECO mode with a dimmer lcd setting.
This was also the reason why I rejected the SAGER units as they can only last about 47mins from the online reviews I have read. ok, desktop replacement units are not meant to be moved around, but a laptop, IMHO, should be able to function normally for at least 1.5 hrs on battery and not treat the battery as a "UPS".
3. NVIDIA GTX 460M
This GPU is really fantastic!
I managed to get an average framerate of 31FPS for BATMAN AA GOTY with all the graphics settings maxed out. Yes, even with 16x Anti-aliasing! ha ha :) That's how smooth it is!
And this was running under the 18.4 inch laptop screen at native 1920 x 1080 resolution!
Had the new MSI gaming unit with the 460M been available at the time that I bought this Toshiba, I would not have eliminated such an option from my short-list.
4. Sound system
This unit comes with Harmon Kardon speakers.
Again, SAGER was edged out on this factor.
5. Build Quality
For me, aesthetics are not that important. Hence I was willing to consider either the SAGER line of laptops.
This Toshiba unit is very well made. The keyboard does not have any flex. The handrest portion beneath the keyboard has a special smooth glossy feel to it, and it is akin to marble. Typing on this keyboard really makes you enjoy using the product. :)
The trackpad is also very well made and responsive. The buttons are firm.
The laptop itself is a work of art! The Japanese aesthetics really shows with the black laptop and red trimmings. The Trackpad and media control buttons on the left are also illuminated in red led.
I read many horror stories (motherboard dying and bad servicing) about the ASUS G73 line of laptops, hence I regretfully had to eliminate that from my consideration. To be fair, the G73 series supposedly has less problems with the new 460M Nvidia GPU as compared with the ATI 5870 GPU but I just did not want to take the risk of being subjected to the horrible after-sales service of ASUS. You can google this to find out more.
6. 18.4" FHD screen
Yes, this comes with a blu-ray player which works very well with the Full 1080HD screen.
Given the limited space on my desk, I needed a laptop with the largest screen possible. This fit the bill exactly.
7. SSD Boot Drive
The SSD boot drive really makes a difference.
Imagine being able to boot up in less than 30secs.
Windows 7 shutdown only takes 10s.
BTW, I checked the SSD drive for SSD alignment issues, I am glad to report that the SSD drive supplied by Toshiba fresh from the factory does not have any SSD alignment issues.
8. CPU
The Intel i7 740 seems to be able to handle multi-tasking very well. I can open up many other programs whilst running 64 bit Adobe CS5 Photoshop smoothly.
CONS
1. Weight
This laptop is not as portable as a 15.6 incher. So if portability is really required by you, I'd suggest that you look for a smaller laptop.
2. SSD only 64GB
You will have to install progams into the 500GB secondary HDD.
The 64GB boot drive is really only meant for that purpose.
If only Toshiba used a 128GB SSD, this would have been perfect. Hence my giving the laptop 4 stars.
I have no doubt that I will have to carry out a personal upgrade of the primary SSD to one which is at least 128GB in size very soon.
3. Lack of Customisation
One of the reasons why such a high quality product can be sold so cheaply is due to mass production.
Unfortunately, this means that you, the customer, cannot get a laptop according to your required specs. I had to carry out a personal upgrade of the RAM to 8GB because I needed it for Photoshop CS5 for photo editing.
Likewise for my point about the SSD above. If only Toshiba allowed customers to buy one unit with a 128 or 160 GB SSD.
Final Words
To any SAGER owners out there, please don't take this review the wrong way. I'm not trying to be one of those "my dad is bigger than your dad" type of reviewer.
Despite my misgivings, I really do admire the SAGER line of laptops for their build quality, reputation and latest technology employed at an affordable price. My final shortlisted choices were either a SAGER or this Toshiba unit. If only SAGER/CLEVO keyboard designs were improved, I might have bought one of their units instead of the Toshiba.
Likewise for those ASUS G73 owners. I really do admire the stealth fighter inspired design and basic specs. H/W, I read too many horror stories from G73 online owners' lounges about ASUS products. Hence I decided not to take the risk of buying an ASUS G73 gaming laptop.
[P.S. Edited on 17th March 2011]
1. USB 3.0
For those who are interested, it is possible to add USB 3.0 functionality via the following USB 3.0 expresscard.
"AKE expresscard Express To USB 3.0 FL1000 34mm" with ASIN: B0046Y3INC.
I confirm that this expresscard works with the Toshiba Laptop.
This expresscard does not protrude out of the expresscard slot and so it is highly recommended.
2. Latest NVIDIA drivers
The latest NVIDIA drivers v267.24, despite being a beta driver, can be installed onto this laptop. It is also very stable.
This NVIDIA driver was released during March 2011 and was meant to provide improved performance for the game Dragon Age 2.
I confirm that the graphics under DA2 seem to run slightly better with this driver.
BTW, I finally installed the GPU demanding game, Crysis 1, on my machine. This laptop can handle the maximum graphics settings with no problem whatsoever.
Any laptop which can do so really deserves the moniker of "Gaming laptop"!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q898 18.4-Inch Laptop (Fusion Finish in Omega Black)


Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q898: Hard-Core Gaming, Brilliant Graphics
Amplify your 3D gaming and video editing with incredibly fast frame rates with the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q898 gaming laptop, which features a stunning 18.4-inch display--with true 1080p high-def resolution--and the Intel Core i7 processor with four cores of intelligent processing power. Additionally, it offers ultra-fast DDR3 system memory and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics with 1.5 GB of GDDR5 video memory. Together, this pairing of high-performance technologies allow you to rip through the latest 3D games at lightning-fast frame-rates or create high-definition video and audio faster and more efficiently with smooth rendering and encoding.
The Toshiba Qosmio X505 features a striking design on the outside and is packed with premium technologies on the inside (see larger image).

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1/15/2012

Toshiba Satellite L655-S5065 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey/Black) Review

Toshiba Satellite L655-S5065 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey/Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I use my laptop for professional programming and IT work. I absolutely love this laptop! It is wide because of the number key however this makes plenty of room on the desktop. It is wide screen display, resolution 768 x 1366 which other reviewers have said is a bad thing however I think that it is a great resolution. This laptop is fast and is loaded. The HD screen is crisp and clear, the sound is wonderful for a computer.
The only down side I can think of is it shows all fingerprints, but unless your OCD then it shouldn't be an issue.
I have done a lot of research on buying this laptop and believe me for the price the Toshiba line is top dog. Don't waste your money on a Dell, they are flimsy terribly built and are loaded with technical issues.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Satellite L655-S5065 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey/Black)


Toshiba Satellite L655: Fashionable, Affordable and Portable with 15.6-Inch Screen
Offering a redesigned chassis with a sleeker body, the nicely affordable Toshiba Satellite L655-S5065 notebook PC makes it easy to handle computing essentials at home, school or work--from surfing the web and downloading video to managing household finances or studying for finals. And its high-gloss Fusion Finish in Helios Gray will be sure to raise a few eyebrows while you're on the go.

Burn through the hottest new digital media, content creation and advanced 3D gaming with the breakthrough performance of the Intel Core i3 processor--with 4-way multitasking processor power to work on four tasks simultaneously.

This all-purpose, eco-smart machine features a stunning 15.6-inch LED-backlit display with 720p native high-definition resolution. Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. Other high-tech features include a power-saving Eco Utility to help reduce power consumption based on your needs and one USB/eSATA combo port.

This Satellite comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).



Key Features
15.6-inch widescreen HD TruBrite LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals, but it's more environmentally friendly as it uses less power (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio).


2.26 GHz Intel Core i3-350M dual-core processor for a fast, responsive PC experience (3 MB L3 cache). It comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics, an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing. Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology enables each core of your processor to work on two tasks at the same time, delivering the performance you need for smart multitasking.


320 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)


4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (800 MHz; expandable to 4 GB)


Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M with 64 MB - 1696 MB of dynamically allocated shared graphics memory


8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support.


Wireless Connectivity
With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.



Included Toshiba Software:
Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.



Included Toshiba Utilities:
Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.



Up to 4 hours of battery life (6-cell battery; 48 Wh)


Dimensions & Weight: 14.96 x 9.84 x 1.49 inches (WxDxH); 6.4 pounds



Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings



Environmental Specifications
Energy Star 5.0 certified
Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances

Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.

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25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.

Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.


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1/03/2012

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q870 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop Review

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q870 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This review is broken into several parts for those that would like an in depth review, or would like to know specific details.
Seller: Best Custom P.C. LLC
As soon as Amazon allows me to, this company will be receiving five stars. They are the best company that I have ever dealt with (this includes offline stores as well.) They answered all of my questions quickly, and were polite and personable in their responses. I received a handwritten thank you note with my order (I ask you, when have you EVER received a hand written anything from a business, much less from the owner?)The system they sell you is double checked by two computer professionals, and everything is tested. They ship quickly, and are one of the few third party vendors that will provide you with tracking information.
Qosmio x505-870:
General:
First off know what you are getting into. This machine is not some cute little Vaio. Don't misunderstand me it looks awesome, but when Toshiba says desktop replacement they MEAN desktop replacement. To put this in perspective I have a Macbook Air which is a thirteen inch laptop. I can literally put it on the Qosmio in the upper right hand corner and it will come to the "w" key to halfway down the touchpad. To put it another way, I can open the Mac's screen and still watch a youtube video behind it on the Qosmio's monitor. There for, I don't understand some of the other reviews where they complain that it is heavy. This isn't a netbook. It isn't completely immovable though. Just understand this thing is HUGE, and lugging it around isn't going to be fun for long walks in Manhattan. The keyboard is backlit, and full sized with a numeric pad. On your left there are touch media keys that I like. Again, I have read some complaints that they are too easy to hit and I do not understand this either. Unless you are terribly uncoordinated or your hands are the size of Kobe's I don't know how you will hit them accidently. The battery has 12 cells, and with Eco mode will last a good amount of time for a machine this large (3 hours give or take.)
Parts:
The monitor is clear and crisp with a 16:9 ratio, the keyboard is snappy and comfortable, and the speakers are great for a laptop. The i7 processor is a beast, but the Qosmio handles the heat easily. I have yet to feel it get hot at all ( and I do use it as a "lap" top.) It has 4GB of RAM @ 1066MHz which is not the fastest, but good enough for just about anything you'll throw at it. The Blu-ray player is a steal for the price, and will flash labels onto burned DVDs (does NOT burn Blu-ray.) Computer has three USB ports, an eSATA/USB port with sleep/charge for your phone. One firewire 400 port, Bluetooth, one HDMI port,10/100/1000 ethernet, 5 in 1 memory card reader, PCI slot, and 2nd hard drive bay for another HD. Hard drive is a 500GB @ 7200 rpm. My only nitpick is the touchpad, it supports multi touch, but is tiny. However, wireless mice aren't really expensive, and the pad isn't horrible, just kind of out of place (The ones on the Macbooks are about twice as big). This is an amazing piece of hardware, and if you want a powerful computer this is your machine.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q870 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop

This Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q870 Notebook PC features a Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz Quad Core processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M graphics, 500GB 7200RPM hard drive, Blu-ray Disc ROM and DVD SuperMulti drive with Labelflash supporting 12 formats and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Armed with those extraordinary components, the new Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q870 Notebook PC will create a world filled with spectacular multimedia entertainment.

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11/21/2011

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red) Review

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Just got it today and I updated the windows and installed Starcraft 2 (the real reason why I purchased this laptop). It's so so sweet. I'm playing Starcraft on ... high? NOPE. It's running on ULTRA with no problems. Actually, the graphics look so crisp and clear that it's kind of hard to see where your units are because they blend into the reflections and shadows of the surrounding so well. Haven't had a lot of units on screen, thanks to my SC skills, so I haven't seen if it causes the laptop to lag or not. I have a Macbook Pro and the bottom gets hot, so I order a laptop cooler for this laptop just in case (hasn't arrive yet). This laptop doesn't feel hot yet though. Not after 2 hours of SCing. Anyways, it's about 20lbs so I wouldn't put it on my lap anyways, if you're concerned about that.
Pros: Fast; everything pre-installed; excellent "pc." I say PC because this laptops way faster than my current gaming PC, granted, the gaming PC is 5 years old and a lot cheaper. Speakers are awesome. You can feel the vibrations flowing through the laptop. I moved the laptop a little and this HDD protection thing went off. With these huge speakers, I'm surprise that HDD protection thing doesn't go off more often due to the vibration from the speakers. I feel like I need to break in the speakers, they're that big and loud!
Cons: The audio buttons on the left side ... I have hit it a few times playing SC. You know, using the CTRL+number to assign groups. Or even while ALT+tabbing. Why didn't they put it on the right side, after the num pad? Or above the top? I don't know. Anyways, I've just been hitting the volume buttons, no biggie. Of course, extra Toshiba/Etc. software. I deleted some. Some might be useful, who knows? I'll run a few of them later to see. I use a wireless mouse instead of the touch pad. But from my short usage of the touch pad... it seems small. The one on my Macbook Pro is like three times bigger. Anyways, because I'll be using this laptop for gaming, I'll need a mouse, so it's not an issue to me. You can turn the touchpad on and off with a button right above the touch pad, if you wanted to know.
Pro or Con, your choice: This laptop is massive! You've probably need a backpack or suitcase to transport it. I knew 18.4" was big but damn, once you see it, it's freaking huge. It's be like carrying a 20" LCD TV around with you. Compared to the Qosmio 890, this one only has 4 GB of memory (and no SSD, it's a small SSD anyways, so who cares.). Haven't had a problem with my gaming ... anyways, I was playing to upgrade to 8 GB later anyways, but only if there was a game requiring it. Why buy extra memory if you don't need it?

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red)


Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887: Hard-core Gaming, Brilliant Graphics
Amplify your 3D gaming and video editing with incredibly fast frame rates with the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 gaming laptop, which features a stunning, high-definition 18.4-inch display and the Intel Core i7 processor with four cores of intelligent processing power. Additionally, it offers ultra-fast DDR3 system memory and the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M graphics with 1 GB of GDDR5 video memory. Together, this pairing of high-performance technologies allow you to rip through the latest 3D games at lightning-fast frame-rates or create high-definition video and audio faster and more efficiently with smooth rendering and encoding.

The Qosmio X505 features Toshiba's striking Fusion Finish in Omega Black with stylish red chrome accents and a comfortable full keyboard with LED Backlighting and numeric 10-key pad. An intuitive touchpad with multi-touch control enables greater flexibility to browse and control what's happening on-screen with gesture-commands--including two-finger pinch, swipe, rotate and scroll.

It also includes a 1.3 megapixel webcam with Face Recognition capabilities for added security. And if you're using one laptop for several users--say for the whole family or for a small business--Toshiba Face Recognition lets you switch profiles with one simple look.

This Qosmio comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).



Key Features
18.4-inch high-definition TruBrite display with 1680 x 945 resolution for amazing color depth and clarity and native 720p (HD+) support.


1.73 GHz Intel Core i7-740QM processor (with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.93 GHz) delivers maximum processing power in response to peak demands. Intel's Turbo Boost technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload--providing more performance when you need it the most. It also comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics--an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing.


500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (7200 RPM)


4 GB of DDR3 RAM (upgradeable to 8 GB) gives you the bandwidth you need to get the most of today's popular software, multitask all day long and run applications without a glitch.


NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M with 1 GB GDDR5 discrete graphics memory offers what gamers want most--hyper-realistic action with intense 3D visuals, plus vibrant, lifelike scenes and dynamic character effects--thanks to NVIDIA's PhysX technology. It goes beyond everyday gaming with built-in CUDA technology to speed demanding system tasks, like video playback and HD movie editing. You'll also enjoy up to a 50 percent improvement over previous generation mobile graphics processors, and a more rewarding Windows 7 experience with accelerated video and image processing (2298 MB total available graphics memory).


Watch Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal clear resolution with the read-only Blu-ray drive; also supports reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM The drive also offers Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.


Wireless Connectivity
With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.
With integrated Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize wirelessly with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as printers and cell phones.



Harman Kardon stereo speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound.
Dolby Home Theater suite of technologies delivers virtual surround sound from stereo speakers or any pair of headphones.


Included Toshiba Software:
Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.



Included Toshiba Utilities:
Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.
USB Sleep and Charge offers a great way to keep your portable electronics powered up without requiring your laptop to be on. With this laptop's Sleep and Charge USB port, you'll be able to charge your smart phone, MP3 player, and other portable electronics--all without having to keep your laptop awake.
Hard Drive Impact Sensor takes the worry out of taking your most important files and multimedia on the go. Able to detect sudden movement along three different dimensions, the impact sensor (a complex system of hardware and software) helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. And it works faster than you can blink to help protect your laptop and all-important data.



Up to 3.75 hours of battery life (12-cell battery; 87 Wh)


Dimensions & Weight: 17.4 x 11.6 x .63 inches (WxDxH); 9.7 pounds



Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings



What's in the box
This package contains the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.

It also comes with the following software:
Norton Internet Security 2010 (30-day trial); Microsoft Works 9; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial); Google Toolbar; Microsoft Windows Media Player 12; Microsoft Silverlight; Toshiba PC Health Monitor; Toshiba Online Backup (30-day trial)
This laptop is backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty.

Environmental Specifications
Energy Star 5.0 certified
Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances

Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.

Learn More


25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.

Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.


Buy Now

Click here for more information about Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red)

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9/22/2011

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q894 18.4-Inch Laptop (Fusion Finish in Omega Black) Review

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q894 18.4-Inch Laptop (Fusion Finish in Omega Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
For starters I rated 5 stars because the computer has exceeded my original expectations. It's fast and doesn't stutter even under heavy multitasking. For the price I was looking at, I couldn't find a computer with better specs. The 460M GTX allows me to play games like Crysis, COD:Black OPS, StarCraft II and BattleField Badcompany II on high settings without problems. The lighted keyboard and red glowing media buttons allow me to use the computer in low lit conditions. I've read alot of mixed reviews about this computer and at least by my experience, the computer is the best bang for the buck.
But now for the not so good about it:(Theres so many good things about it that I didn't subtract starts from it)
1) Computer is surprisingly large and heavy, After moving this around a few times, my old 17inch Dell Inspiron feels like a netbook. The powerblock is also big. Since I knew this from the reviews, it wasn't a issue for me.
2) The 460M GTX cant be updated with regular nvidia drivers. Updates must be from Toshiba. Toshiba does have a driver utility that checks for updates, but it has yet to update to the newer drivers.
3) There seems to be a problem with the speakers that generate some static and also the volume fluctuates when listening to mp3s.This has been my biggest headache with the machine because I listen to music alot. They have released a driver update that minimized the issue, but It still recurs sometimes.
4)The touchpad takes some time to get adjusted to, and overall it feels weird and somewhat unreliable. It hasn't been that much of a problem for me because I mostly use a mouse anyways.
5)Fingerprint magnet is an understatement for this computer.
6)The bezel is starting to show signs of stress around the hinges, which means that probably there's too much pressure put in there and might crack sometime soon.
7)About the temperature, it does get slightly hot under heavy use(mostly when gaming) but it doesn't get close to the danger level according to HWmonitor.I ran it for about 1 month without any cooling pad and it never gave me any problems. The built in Fan is good and quiet. I decided to invest on a Coolermaster pad for 19 inch notebooks and it helped my computer run cool.
8)The Keyboard flexes a little bit, which was awkward for me at first but I think its just a manufacturing thing. You will forget it after you get used to it.
9)Nvidia's new optimus technology on computers won't allow games to run smoothly without the computer connected to AC. Crysis on extreme settings started to lag as soon as I disconnected the AC cord. This technology switches the Nvidia graphics to integrated graphics when the computer is not connected so you save battery life and the computer runs cooler. I found no way to turn this off. This is annoying if you are like me and don't want to kill the battery by leaving the computer on AC power all the time. My recommendation is to take the battery out if your planning to do alot of gaming. This is not a Toshiba problem but I thought it should be mentioned.
10) Battery life is good, not great and again with the size and the components this is one thing that suprised me in a good way.
*This review is based on two months of heavy usage. In my opinion the good really compensates for the few flaws and I would definitely recommend this to someone. I'm very happy with my purchase.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q894 18.4-Inch Laptop (Fusion Finish in Omega Black)


Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q894: Hard-Core Gaming, Brilliant Graphics
Amplify your 3D gaming and video editing with incredibly fast frame rates with the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q894 gaming laptop, which features a stunning 18.4-inch display--with native 720p (HD+) support--and the Intel Core i7 processor with four cores of intelligent processing power. Additionally, it offers ultra-fast DDR3 system memory and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics with 1.5 GB of GDDR5 video memory. Together, this pairing of high-performance technologies allow you to rip through the latest 3D games at lightning-fast frame-rates or create high-definition video and audio faster and more efficiently with smooth rendering and encoding.
The Toshiba Qosmio X505 features a striking design on the outside and is packed with premium technologies on the inside (see larger image).

Buy NowGet 14% OFF

Click here for more information about Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q894 18.4-Inch Laptop (Fusion Finish in Omega Black)

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7/12/2011

Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6051 LED TruBrite 16-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6051 LED TruBrite 16-Inch Laptop (Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Edit- Be sure to read edit at bottom for updated review...
This laptop is really the perfect laptop for entertainment purposes. It has a ATI Radeon HD 4250 and the m880G chipset working with the processor for a decent GPU, but it would be certainly not ideal for any serious gaming or intensive 3d rendering.
As an entertainment laptop though, this computer has just about everything right about it. The 16" screen is beautiful; the 1.6ghz quad core Phenom II is a wonderful multi-tasker and great for media. The speakers are absolutely unbelievable for being internal laptop speakers; They actually sound good, at loud volumes! Unheard of in my experience with laptop speakers. The bass is amplified surprisingly well given the constraints, as are the tones in general. There is a very important program on the computer that allow you to control the audio your computer is putting out: It is called "Realtek HD Audio Manager", and can be found in your control panel. It will allow you to utilize an equalizer and Dolby enhancement.
Also great are the many ports that are found on this computer. There are 4 USB, one being a hybrid USB/eSATA. There is (importantly for entertainment purposes) an HDMI output, as well as a VGA output, just in case, I guess. The keyboard is back lit, as is the screen, so typing in low-lit conditions is a breeze. The keyboard and the touch pad that are on this computer are of truly excellent quality; I have had other Toshibas recently that had much worse touch pads and keyboards and so I feel really happy that I do not have this issue. This computer is not that heavy, but it is 16", so understand that it is not ultra portable.
The type of battery that is in this computer is very efficient with energy consumption and can last for well over 3 hours (nearly 4, actually) without really other than a little screen brightness sacrificed (pressing the "eco" utility button is all it takes to get close to 4 hours without really sacrificing much. This is a great balance for me, because most other laptops of this type have much more power-hungry processors in them that eat up the battery in closer to two hours, as opposed to the 3 to 4 I get with this computer. This is much easier to work with the approximately over 2 hours with most other computers of this type. Also helpful in this area of energy saving is the technology that allows you to listen to music, charge devices, or do pretty much anything you want through the computer's ports while the computer itself is in sleep mode.
As for the cons of this computer, they are really limited. It is a great computer, especially for the mid $600s, but I do wish that the hard drive speed was 7,200 RPM. I'm not sure if the 5,400 RPM hard drive will create a bottleneck with the computing ability of this laptop, but in my initial tests on this computer, there has been only slight lag versus what I would expect on a 7,200 RPM computer. I may try to put in a cool, power sipping 7,200 RPM internal SATA drive at the end of my 1 year warranty, as I could just take the SATA drive in here already and put into a casing and hook up through the eSATA port as a backup drive. Two benefits from one move! A related hardware gripe is that the M880G chipset/ ATI Radeon 4250 is a decent GPU for everyday applications, but it could stand to have been beefed up a bit...
Another con with this computer is that the USB ports are awkwardly placed near the outsides of the wrists when the fingers are on the home row keys, and plugging the USB mouse into a port located in this location makes you have move the mouse around the piece jutting out of the USB port. This is really only a problem when working with limited space, and since the touch pad is a great one, this isn't too big of a problem, really.
The last con would be the bloatware. There is really quite a bit of software loaded onto this computer, and with some of the programs, you will probably decide to uninstall, as I did. There are useful programs and there are useless ones; be prepared to remove some stuff that you don't need, though.
Bottom line, this computer is an awesome entertainment machine. The processor is a great choice for multi-tasking and energy efficiency. It is really a good processor for this computer. The other features like harman/kardon speakers are excellent, especially if you are going to use your computer primarily for media ass I am.Edit- The price on this computer has fluctuated quite a bit recently. I want to note that this computer, despite having a quad-core processor, is certainly not worth as much as an i5 or similar processor. I love AMD, and believe that their new line of Turion II X2 processors seem to be the sweet spot with them and laptops. 2.3ghz, two cores, modern processor technologies... These Turions don't have the four cores like the P920 in this laptop, but since these cores can't be utilized completely in today's usage, I have found that the higher clock rate and only two cores seems to work better for most any application that I have tried. This laptop is not bad, with it's four cores and very low power consumption. However, compared to the Turion II X2 P520, a processor with higher clock speed, equal power consumption, and two fewer cores, I think it will show that the two, faster cores work better for most processes. It should be noted that both of these processors have 2mb L2 cache, but the four cores spreads it to 512k per core while it is 1mb per core on the dual-core.
Long review now with this edit... Whew. Well, I hope it helps some people!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6051 LED TruBrite 16-Inch Laptop (Black)


Toshiba Satellite A665: 16-Inch Screen for Mobile HD Entertainment
Replace your desktop PC with the Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6051, which features a 16-inch diagonal HD TruBrite widescreen LED-backlit display, touchpad with multi-touch control, and a dual-layer DVD±RW drive that burns CDs and offers Labelflash print functionality. The bright 16-inch LCD (1366 x 768) offers a true 16:9 aspect ratio and 720p native high-definition resolution, and the A665 is great for using as a media center with the touch-sensitive media keys placed above the keyboard. You'll also be able to burn through the hottest new digital media, content creation and advanced 3D gaming thanks to the quad-core AMD Phenom II Mobile Processor P920.

Toshiba's A665 series laptops has been redesigned with the Fusion X2 Finish--an elegant matte textured surface with a gloss trim that's durable, uniquely stylish, and less prone to fingerprints. It's also packed with exclusive Toshiba technology, including a power-saving Eco Utility to help reduce power consumption based on your needs, USB Sleep-and-Charge port, and a hard drive impact sensor that protects your data.

Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. And this laptop also includes the innovative Sleep and Music functionality, which lets you listen to music through its speakers without booting up.

This Satellite comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).



Key Features
16-inch widescreen HD TruBrite LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals, but it's more environmentally friendly as it uses less power (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio).


1.6 GHz AMD Phenom II P920 quad-core processor (with AMD M880G Chipset and 2 MB L2 cache) lets you enjoy movies, music and games like you never have before, with amazing detail, clarity and color. Plus, you can experience Microsoft Windows 7 the way it was intended. All this with the freedom to do more on the go with long battery life rating.


500 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)


4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (expandable to 8 GB)


ATI Radeon HD 4250 graphics card provides exceptional features, performance and power-efficiencies that enrich what you see and do (256 MB - 1917 MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory).


8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support and Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.


Wireless Connectivity
With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.



Harman Kardon stereo speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound.
Dolby Advanced Audio blends a suite of technologies to deliver a stunning audio experience from headphones or your laptop speakers. It analyzes audio signals and restores tones often lost in encoding, mimicking the same optimization techniques that go into tuning movie theaters and mixing rooms, resulting in brighter highs and deep, thumping bass tones. It also expands stereo signals to 6.1- or 7.1-channel playback for a listening experience that will have you talking long after the performance.


Included Toshiba Software:
Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.



Included Toshiba Utilities:
Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.
Sleep and Music lets you enjoy your favorite tunes through speakers built into your Toshiba laptop without booting up--helping you conserve battery life. Just plug your portable player into the microphone jack, step back and enjoy.
USB Sleep and Charge offers a great way to keep your portable electronics powered up without requiring your laptop to be on. With this laptop's Sleep and Charge USB port, you'll be able to charge your smart phone, MP3 player, and other portable electronics--all without having to keep your laptop awake.
Hard Drive Impact Sensor takes the worry out of taking your most important files and multimedia on the go. Able to detect sudden movement along three different dimensions, the impact sensor (a complex system of hardware and software) helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. And it works faster than you can blink to help protect your laptop and all-important data.



6-cell battery


Dimensions & Weight: 14.98 x 10 x 1.48 inches (WxDxH); 5.8 pounds



Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings



What's in the box
This package contains the Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6051 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.

It also comes with the following software:
Norton Internet Security 2010 (30-day trial); Microsoft Works 9; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial); Google Toolbar; Microsoft Windows Media Player 12; Microsoft Silverlight; Toshiba PC Health Monitor; Toshiba Online Backup (30-day trial)
This laptop is backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty.

Environmental Specifications
Energy Star 5.0 certified
Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances

Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.

Learn More


25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.

Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.


Buy NowGet 6% OFF

Click here for more information about Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6051 LED TruBrite 16-Inch Laptop (Black)

Read More...