Toshiba stuffs three GPUs into Qosmio X305
We've seen laptops with dual SLI graphics, such as the Alienware Area-51 m17x. We've seen laptops with switchable discrete and integrated graphics, such as the new MacBook Pro. But on Thursday, Toshiba announced two new versions of its Qosmio X305 gaming laptop that incorporate three GPUs: two Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS cards in a scalable link interface and one integrated GeForce 9400M.
Nvidia is calling the new triple-card solution "Hybrid SLI." Like other laptops with hybrid graphics, the Qosmio X305 can switch from discrete to integrated graphics, with the former offering better gaming performance and the latter offering better power efficiency for lower-level Windows tasks.
The lower-end version of the laptop, the Qosmio X305-Q706, costs $1,999 for a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor; 4GB of DDR3 RAM; a 320GB, 7,200rpm hard drive; and of course the two 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS cards plus GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.
For those unaffected by the economic downturn, the $4,199 Qosmio X305-Q708 offers a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300 quad-core processor; 4GB of DDR3 RAM; both a 128GB solid-state drive and a 320GB, 7,200rpm hard drive; and two 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS cards plus GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.
The new Qosmio X305 models feature the same red-flame design, 17-inch display, and stereo speakers with subwoofer found on their predecessor, and both are available immediately.
Michelle Thatcher has been reviewing technology products for nearly a decade. Her current focus is laptop reviews, with some kitchen gadgetry and Web 2.0 thrown in for good measure.
