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Toshiba Satellite X200: SLI gaming laptop

Toshiba has surely made a pact with the devil to create a gaming laptop this fast, with two SLI-linked GeForce 8800M graphics cards -- we checked it out at IFA in Berlin

Rory Reid
2 min read

We've just had a hands-on session at IFA in Berlin with the new Toshiba Satellite X200 gaming laptop, a machine that does for 3D polygons what anabolic steroids does for Olympic sprinters. It makes them run damn fast -- so fast in fact, you could be forgiven for thinking Toshiba was in league with Alienware -- or the devil.

Two versions are available -- one of which has a single Nvidia GeForce 8800M graphics card with 512MB of RAM. The other version packs two of these suckers linked in an SLI configuration, which is simply frightening.

The rest of the specs are impressive, too. The version we looked at includes a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 CPU, 2GB of DDR2 667MHz RAM, and a whopping 300GB hard drive. It also packs an HD DVD drive, but don't get too carried away -- the 17-inch screen only supports a max resolution of 1,680x1,050 pixels. If it's 1080p you're after, you'll need to pump the video signal through a HDMI cable to a suitable big telly.

Our cheeky bouts of Stalker and F.E.A.R were made all the more pleasant thanks to a funky Toshiba gaming keyboard, which connects via USB. This has a circular control pad to the far left, which houses the strafe keys and a set of customisable shortcut buttons. Also pictured is a set of 3D goggles that Toshiba hopes to launch early in 2008. They weren't set up properly, so we'll reserve judgment until we get some time alone with them.

We're digging the X200. The understated styling makes a change from the garish designs seen on many Alienware laptops, and it looks like it won't cost the Earth either. Prices start from £1,494. Watch for a full review in the near future. -Rory Reid