Toshiba Satellite X205-SLi5 & X205-SLi6 Penryn Based Gaming Notebooks Announced [Notebook Gaming]

Toshiba have announced two new high performance models in its range of
Satellite range of notebooks aimed squarely at gamers in the form of the
X205-SLi5 and X205-SLi6 Satellites sporting 45nm T8300 and T9300 Core 2
Duo Intel processors and dual Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT 512MB GDDR3
graphics cards mounted in SLI configuration.

The new Satellite models, which follow hot on the heels of a series of
new budget Satellite notebooks revealed last week (which were not
covered by us on account of us being in distant, warmer climes), come
with 3GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM, 320GB and 400GB 7200rpm HDDs (X205-SLi5
and X205-SLi6 respectively), integrated 1.3 megapixel webcams, HDMI
ports facilitating digital HD output to HDTVs and S/P DIF audio outputs
enhanced with Dolby Sound Room for 5.1 stereo surround sound, 17'
TruBright TFT displays offering 1440 x 900 / 1680 x 1050 (WXGA+/WSXGA+,
X205-SLi5 and X205-SLi6 respectively) resolution and, interestingly
(especially for gaming notebooks) built in fingerprint readers.

Satellite X205-SLi5 Specifications:

Genuine Windows Vistaยฎ Premium (SP1, 32-bit version)
Intelยฎ CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T8300
2.40GHz, 3MB L2, 800MHz FSB
3072MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memory
Maximum capacity 4096MB
320GB using two (7200 RPM) Serial ATA hard disc drives
Primary: 160GB + Secondary: 160GB
DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) with LabelflashTM drive supporting 11
formats
17-inch diagonal widescreen TruBriteยฎ TFT LCD display
1440×900 native resolution (WXGA+)
NVIDIAยฎ SLiTM Dual GeForceยฎ 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 discrete
graphics memory, plus up to 255MB dynamically allocated shared graphics
memory using NVIDIAยฎ TurboCacheTM technology
4 Built-in Harman Kardonยฎ stereo speakers with one sub-woofer
Intelยฎ Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
Bluetoothยฎ version 2.0 plus Enhanced Data Rate
Built-in Webcam and microphone
Fingerprint reader
One-year standard limited warranty

Satellite X205-SLi6 Specifications:

Genuine Windows Vistaยฎ Ultimate (SP1, 32-bit version)
Intelยฎ CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T9300
2.50GHz, 6MB L2, 800MHz FSB
3072MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memory
Maximum capacity 4096MB
400GB using two (7200 RPM) Serial ATA hard disc drives
Primary: 200GB + Secondary: 200GB
DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) with LabelflashTM drive supporting 11
formats
Toshiba USB HDTV Tuner (External) Broadcast high-definition (720p or 1080i)
Broadcast standard definition (480i)
17-inch diagonal widescreen TruBriteยฎ TFT LCD display
1680×1050 native resolution (WSXGA+)
NVIDIAยฎ SLiTM Dual GeForceยฎ 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 discrete
graphics memory, plus up to 255MB dynamically allocated shared graphics
memory using NVIDIAยฎ TurboCacheTM technology
4 Built-in Harman Kardonยฎ stereo speakers with one sub-woofer
Intelยฎ Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
Bluetoothยฎ version 2.0 plus Enhanced Data Rate
Built-in Webcam and microphone
Fingerprint reader
One-year standard limited warranty

The Toshiba X205 Satellite gaming notebooks will retail for around $2000
and $2500 for the X205-SLi5 and X205-SLi6 models respectively however,
whilst there's no doubt that these new gaming Satellites should prove
more than capable of delivering blistering performance we are, it has to
be said, rather surprised that not only have Toshiba opted for GeForce
8600 graphics but that they have also done nothing to make the design of
these new Satellites somewhat more appealing to its intended 'younger'
market (who are sure to be less than blown away with the dull, somewhat
insipid businesslike aesthetics of these machines).

Accordingly we cannot help but feel that, perhaps, Toshiba should have
put a little more thought into offering models that are a little more,
for want of a better word, inspiring - especially when you factor in
exactly what these gaming notebooks will be competing against
(Alienware's wholly un-businesslike gaming notebooks spring immediately
to mind).

Toshiba