Laptops: Reviews

Updated November 2009

May 14th:
HP Recalls Notebook Batteries
From: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

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Best gaming laptop

*Est. $1,800 and up Compare Prices

For serious gamers, reviewers say you can't beat the performance of the 17-inch Alienware M17x. This award-winning laptop combines the top gaming hardware with a flashy design to appeal to fans of 3-D gaming. The base… model of the Alienware M17x starts at $1,800, but reviewers say you'll need to shell out serious cash to take advantage of this machine's full potential. Most reviewers test an upgraded version of this gaming laptop costing at least $4,000, complete with dual Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics, a high-resolution display and Blu-ray drive. With these upgrades, reviewers rave about the blistering performance. The two biggest drawbacks are price and weight. The Alienware M17x weighs more than 11 pounds, so while it's technically portable, you won't want to lug it around for long. It's also expensive, but reviewers say serious gamers will find that it is worth every penny.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Laptop Magazine: Laptop Magazine conducts some of the best laptop testing, and it gives an Editors' Choice award to the Alienware M17x. Todd ...

PCMag.com: The Alienware M17x scores an Editors' Choice award in the gaming category from PCMag.com. Cisco Cheng appreciates the many ...

Computer Shopper: ComputerShopper.com also bestows an Editor's Choice award on the Alienware M17x. John Delaney notes that the M17x is "the fastest ...

PC World: Darren Gladstone at PC World is also impressed with the Alienware M17x, which he says has "blistering gamer-approved ...

CNET: CNET conducts extensive testing on laptops, and the Alienware M17x scores an "excellent" rating. Reviewer Dan Ackerman says the ...

Notebook Review.com: Like most reviewers, Charles Jeffries at NotebookReview.com tests a top-of-the-line version of the Alienware M17x, which costs ...

Notebook Check.net: NotebookCheck.net provides some of the most detailed laptop tests we've seen. This is just a preliminary review, but it gives a ...

HotHardware.com: Marco Chiappetta reports on the Alienware M17x in this video review. Notes that accompany the video include test results. ...

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Dell

for $2,489.00

Best-value gaming laptop

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850

*Est. $1,900 Compare Prices

On the surface, the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850 is just as expensive as the base configuration of the Alienware M17x. However, because most experts recommend upgrading the M17x until it costs well over $4,000, the Toshiba… Qosmio X505-Q850 looks like a bargain by comparison. The Qosmio gaming laptop boasts some impressive hardware. The 18.4-inch laptop comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, 6 GB of memory, a 320 GB hard drive, a 64 GB solid-state drive and a Blu-ray drive. Video looks fantastic on the large HD display, and the laptop includes an HDMI port so you can output video to an HDTV. Reviewers are also impressed with the sound quality from the built-in Harman Kardon speakers. While experts say the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850 is a good value, it can't match the blistering gaming performance of the Alienware M17x.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: The Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850 gets a very good overall rating from CNET. Dan Ackerman praises the widescreen display, although he ...

Laptop Magazine: Laptop Magazine gives an Editors' Choice award to the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850. Avram Piltch is mightily impressed with the ...

PCMag.com: PCMag.com hasn't rated the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850 yet, but Cisco Cheng has a detailed overview. Thanks to a new Intel Core i7 ...

PC World: PC World has also not tested the Toshiba Qosmio X505, but editors offer a feature comparison to determine how the gaming laptop ...

NewEgg.com: The Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850 only receives a handful of owner-written reviews on Newegg.com. Two reviewers give it high marks, ...

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Best multimedia laptop

Dell Studio XPS 16

*Est. $1,000 and up Compare Prices

The Dell Studio XPS 16 is widely praised as a multimedia powerhouse. It is available with a 15.6- or 16-inch widescreen display that's well liked for its rich and vibrant colors. A slot-loading Blu-ray drive and 1080p… resolution display are available as upgrade options, but can boost the bottom line by quite a bit. Reviewers appreciate the inclusion of both HDMI and DisplayPort technologies. Benchmark testing shows the Dell Studio XPS 16 offers solid performance, even for casual gaming. The Dell Studio XPS 16 gets high marks for its sleek design with leather details, but the laptop's glossy surfaces are magnets for fingerprints and smudges. Like most power laptops, the battery life is nothing to write home about.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Anandtech.com: AnandTech.com has one of the most detailed reviews of the Dell Studio XPS 16. Reviewer Jarred Walton highly recommends this ...

Laptop Magazine: The Dell Studio XPS 16 wins an Editors' Choice award from Laptop Magazine, which praises the "first-of-its-kind RGB-LED screen ...

PCMag.com: The Dell Studio XPS 16 is an Editors' Choice award winner. Cisco Cheng calls it a "lavish media center experience," although he ...

Notebook Check.net: NotebookCheck.net provides some of the most detailed reviews of laptops, but this German website can be hard to understand ...

TrustedReviews.com: Britain's TrustedReviews.com gives its Recommended label to the Dell Studio XPS 16, saying the laptop's performance will meet the ...

Computer Shopper: Jamie Bsales at ComputerShopper.com says Dell has "raised the bar for multimedia laptops." The Dell Studio XPS 16 earns an ...

CNET: Dan Ackerman at CNET thinks the Dell Studio XPS 16 is a great choice for watching movies, especially if you upgrade to the ...

PC Authority (Australia): This Australian site gives the Dell Studio XPS 16 five (out of six) stars, praising the "stunning screen" and "elegant design." ...

Notebook Review.com: The Dell Studio XPS 16 gets high marks for design and style in this review from NotebookReview.com. The reviewer also loves the ...

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Amazon Marketplace

for $1,849.99

Best-value Apple laptop

13-inch MacBook Pro, 2.26 GHz

*Est. $1,200 and up Compare Prices

With its strong balance of performance, features and value, the 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro is a terrific choice for those seeking a reliable and capable laptop for everyday use. Windows users aren't shut out because… this Intel-powered laptop can run Windows 7 as well (though you'll have to spring for that operating system separately). Graphics performance is good enough for casual gaming, and the display is first-rate. More information on it and other Apple laptops can be found in our report on Apple laptops and desktops.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Laptop Magazine: The 13-inch MacBook Pro is honored here with an Editors' Choice selection. Pluses include the "stunning display" and the improved ...

PCMag.com: PCMag.com also gives the 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro an Editors' Choice award. Reviewer Cisco Cheng doesn't like the relatively ...

CNET: Dan Ackerman finds lots to like in the 13-inch 2.26 GHz Apple MacBook Pro, calling it "one of the most universally useful laptops ...

Computer Shopper: In winning yet another Editors' Choice award, the 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro is praised here for its "excellent" battery life ...

Macworld: The 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro is reviewed here alongside a more expensive version with a faster processor. Both laptops score ...

PC Advisor: Britain's PC Advisor also reviews both the 2.26 GHz and 2.53 GHz 13-inch MacBook Pros, and both score well. The screen is well ...

Amazon.com: The 13-inch MacBook Pro is well liked by most of the roughly 90 users who post reviews at Amazon.com. At last look, less than 10 ...

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PC Connection Express

for $1,119.00

J&R Music and Computer World

for $1,199.00

Amazon

for $1,194.00

Alienware M15x *Est. $1,500 and up

5 picks by top review sites.

HP Pavilion dv7t *Est. $800 and up

2 picks by top review sites.

Acer Aspire 5738PG *Est. $790 and up

2 picks by top review sites.


	Alienware M15X 15.4-Inch Cosmic Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) from Amazon.com New: $1,869.99 Average Customer Review:


	HP Pavilion DV7T 17" Laptop (Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 at 2.4GHz, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, NVIDIA GeForce Go 9200M, Webcam, HDMI, Windows Vista Premium) from Amazon.com New: $1,499.99 $1,230.00 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Acer AS5738PG-6306 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Blue Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) from Amazon.com New: $799.99 $699.97 In Stock. Average Customer Review:

Laptops: Reviews

Best gaming laptop

Best-value gaming laptop

Best multimedia laptop

Best-value Apple laptop

Laptops by Price Range