Provided you don't mind paying the hefty premium, there's no reason why you can't play games on your notebook at the same speeds as on your desktop. Kitted out with an Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX, Rock's XCTX-T2600 has the most powerful notebook graphics chipset you can buy.
Our usual Doom 3 test didn't push this notebook in the slightest; it produced a stunning score of 107.2fps. We resorted to our desktop Call of Duty 2 benchmark to give it a proper workout. In this tough test, it scored a more than playable 34.5fps. This demonstrates that the 7900 GTX mobile chipset is closer in performance to a 7900 GT desktop card.
You can run games at the LCD's native resolution, but you'll have to reduce the detail settings to get smooth frame rates. This is because the display has a massive 1,920x1,200 resolution. When you're not gaming, it gives lots of desktop space for running complicated or multiple applications. It passed all our tests with ease, displaying smooth blended colours and greyscales. It's not as bright as some screens and lacks vibrancy, but it has a gloss finish that improves contrast and colour saturation.
We've seen this chassis many times before; it's tough but thoroughly unattractive, and the silver plastic finish looks cheap. An LCD on the front tells the time and can also be used to display track information and playback times. On both sides of the display are handy media playback and volume control buttons. It's well equipped, with Bluetooth, a memory card reader and a built-in webcam.
The rest of the notebook's specification is as impressive as its graphics chipset. There's a very fast 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T2600 processor along with 1GB of RAM. It performed well in all our benchmarks. It can take on the toughest of tasks, and the high-resolution screen gives you space to do so properly. You won't want to carry the CTX very far, as it weighs a hefty 4.3kg, but it has a reasonable two-and-a-quarter-hour battery life so you can take it to the bottom of the garden and keep on gaming. Rock provides a three-year warranty as standard, giving excellent peace of mind on your substantial investment.
The XCTX-T2600 is a great notebook for gaming and comes with everything else you might want from a desktop replacement. The price is high, but if you're serious about games and want a notebook that will reliably play the latest titles, it's a fine choice.
System Specifications
NOTEBOOK 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T2600, 1GB RAM, 100GB hard disk, Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX graphics, DVD+/-RW +/-DL drive, 17" LCD screen, 4.3kg
Author: Seth Barton
Computer Shopper Online