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 Vista® Premium (SP1, 32-bit version)
• Intel® 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 TruBrite® TFT LCD display
• 1440×900 native resolution (WXGA+)
• NVIDIA® SLiTM Dual GeForce® 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics memory, plus up to 255MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory using NVIDIA® TurboCacheTM technology
• 4 Built-in Harman Kardon® stereo speakers with one sub-woofer
• Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
• Bluetooth® 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 Vista® Ultimate (SP1, 32-bit version)
• Intel® 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 TruBrite® TFT LCD display
• 1680×1050 native resolution (WSXGA+)
• NVIDIA® SLiTM Dual GeForce® 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics memory, plus up to 255MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory using NVIDIA® TurboCacheTM technology
• 4 Built-in Harman Kardon® stereo speakers with one sub-woofer
• Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
• Bluetooth® 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