Gateway brings FX gaming to laptops

Today Gateway launched FX editions of its P-series gaming laptops.

Michelle Thatcher Former Senior Associate Editor, Laptops

Tech expert Michelle Thatcher grew up surrounded by gadgets and sustained by Tex-Mex cuisine. Life in two major cities--first Chicago, then San Francisco--broadened her culinary horizons beyond meat and cheese, and she's since enjoyed nearly a decade of wining, dining, and cooking up and down the California coast. Though her gadget lust remains, the practicalities of her small kitchen dictate that single-function geegaws never stay around for long.

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Michelle Thatcher

Jan. 8, 2008 2:11 p.m. PT

In addition to two new gaming desktops, today Gateway announced its first FX-branded gaming laptop. The 17-inch wide-screen P-170 FX will be available in three configurations, all with Nvidia GeForce Go 8800M graphics. The lowest-cost version will include an Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 CPU, 3GB of 667MHz RAM, and a 250GB, 5,400rpm hard drive for $1,599. The awesomely named P-170FX MAX, meanwhile, includes a top-of-the-line Intel Core 2 Extreme X7900 processor, a massive 400GB of 7,200rpm hard drive space, and an HD DVD drive for $2,999. The costlier model also gives you a slight bump in screen resolution, from WXGA+ to WUXGA.

A third model, priced at $1,999, occupies the middle ground with a Core 2 Duo T8300 CPU and a 200GB, 7,200rpm hard drive.

Made from aircraft-grade aluminum with a high-impact finish, the P-170FX's lid includes a large copper "FX" on the cover, which Gateway hopes will appeal to gaming enthusiasts who tend to like a bit of brand bling. Other key features around the case include an HDMI connection, a multimedia panel with precision-cut keys on the keyboard deck, and a touch-sensitive volume slide.

The laptops should be available for purchase soon at Gateway's Web site, but the most interesting model may be the retail model coming soon to Best Buy retail stores. That version of the Gateway P-Series FX Edition knocks down the CPU a few notches, but keeps the Nvidia GeForce Go 8800M graphics for only $1,350.