Verdict: This is the only laptop that delivers the goods for high-resolution gaming; it's just a shame that Dell hasn't been smarter in its pricing
Portable gaming has improved in leaps and bounds over the last year, with Nvidia and ATi now mirroring their desktop tit-for-tat in the mobile arena. But you'll still need a forklift to carry around a laptop with enough grunt to challenge a desktop. The Dell Inspiron XPS Gen 2, though, doesn't require a particularly large forklift. In fact, weighing in at less than 4kg, the Gen 2 is decidedly svelte as far as desktop replacements go, although its 17in widescreen TFT means it's still a pretty bulky beast.
You may want to forgive the Gen 2 its girth, though, because of the unique power within. We've already mentioned the 17in TFT, but it's worth going into a bit more detail about this superb 1,920 x 1,200 panel. For example, it sports a technology dubbed 'TrueLife', which works in a similar fashion to Sony's X-black. This glossy coating delivers a high-contrast image, due to the surface diffusing less light, which allows for darker black levels. This makes colours look brighter, which is great for games and movies, but not considered so good for everyday business applications. For an entertainment-oriented portable such as the Gen 2, though, it's superb.
A fabulous TFT is no use without an equally fabulous graphics card, and the Gen 2 delivers in this respect too. It's the first laptop to sport Nvidia's latest mobile GPU, the GeForce Go 6800 Ultra. Despite the Ultra moniker, this is actually a 12-pipeline GPU, rather than a 16-pipeline GPU, like the desktop Ultra and GT. However, the GPU is clocked at 450MHz - 10 per cent faster than a stock Ultra, and 30 per cent faster than a standard 6800. The 256MB of GDDR3 memory runs at the same 550MHz (1.1GHz effective) as a desktop Ultra. The end result is a mobile graphics card that vies with a full-blown GeForce 6800 GT for raw throughput.
Unlike most gaming desktop replacements, though, the Gen 2 partners the Go 6800 Ultra with a Pentium M, in this case running at 2.13GHz (a 2GHz Gen 2 is available for £141 less). The essential 1GB of memory was also included in our test sample and, as the Gen 2 uses the new 915GM chipset, it's of the DDR2 variety. However, despite the supplied 533MHz SO-DIMMs, and the 2.13GHz Pentium M's 533MHz FSB, the memory runs at 400MHz. At least it takes advantage of dual-channel mode.
The rest of the hardware specification is also cutting-edge. There's an NEC dual-layer DVD writer capable of 2.4x DVD+R9 burning, 8x DVD writing, and 4x DVD re-writing. Its CD burning is a more pedestrian 24x, with 16x CD re-writing. The hard disk is a healthy 100GB, although it's only a 4,200rpm Fujitsu model. A 5,400rpm alternative is available for a £23.50 premium, or you can 'downgrade' to a 7,200rpm 60GB version for a £117.50 saving. Our review model had the standard Intel ProWireless 2100 802.11b/g WLAN, but optional internal Bluetooth was included. This is in addition to Gigabit Ethernet, a V.90 modem, six USB 2 ports, an SD card slot and a FireWire port.
However, as the Gen 2 is a gaming laptop, Dell has included two additional gamer-related features, although we use the term 'feature' in the loosest sense. First up is customisable 'perimeter lighting', which is apparently intended 'to help intimidate the gaming competition' at LAN parties. To be honest, it's more likely to make other gamers fall off their chairs laughing, although, in all fairness, the Gen 2's lights are quite pretty. We're not so enamoured with the 'Personalisation Cover', either, which basically just lets you fit an A4 sheet bearing your choice of picture or logo into a space on the Gen 2's lid.
PERFORMANCE
The Pentium M may have been developed in order to extend battery life, but we've also found it to be one of the best gaming CPUs around. Partnered with the GeForce Go 6800 Ultra, it veritably flew in our gaming benchmarks. In our standard test at 1,280 x 1,024 with 2x AA and 2x AF, Far Cry ran at a blistering 67.5fps. That's in the same territory as an Athlon 64 desktop with a GeForce 6800 GT, and a full 24 per cent faster than our current laptop gaming champion, the Alienware Area-51m 7700. However, this resolution doesn't do the Gen 2's awesome TFT justice, so we pumped up the pixel count to 1,600 x 1,200, and increased the quality settings to 4x AA and 8x AF. Incredibly, the Dell still managed an eminently playable 40.4fps, making this the most capable high-resolution gaming laptop we've seen.
We found that Far Cry was still perfectly playable at the Gen 2's native 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, with quality settings on maximum. However, The Chronicles of Riddick was a little jerkier using the Shader Model 2.0 settings, averaging 28.7fps, but dropping to 19fps at some points. It was totally unplayable using the Shader Model 2.0++ mode. This is nothing that a little GPU overclocking can't take care of, we thought, but unfortunately the Gen 2 didn't play ball. The Coolbits 2 auto-detection routine wouldn't overclock above the stock frequencies, and manually increasing the clock speeds only made the Gen 2 unstable. It's worth noting that the 3D module isn't user-upgradable, either.
However, you won't need to improve the Gen 2's graphics performance for a good while to come. With such smooth frame rates on offer, you start to notice other ergonomic factors when gaming with the Gen 2. Whereas a regular desktop keyboard allows you to move your chosen set of keys to the most comfortable position in front of the screen, a laptop's keyboard is fixed, so playing first-person shooters is more awkward. This is a problem all laptops will encounter, though, and for everyday use, the Gen 2's keyboard is perfectly comfortable. For extended desktop play, a USB keyboard could be a decent addition, although a Dell-branded optical mouse is included in the package.
Although the 3D frame rates are the Gen 2's headlining performance feature, its 2D skills are far from weak too. The Media Benchmarks audio ripping score was a decent enough 1.14, despite being held back by the 24x CD-ROM speed of the NEC drive.
Similarly, the image manipulation score wasn't helped by the 4,200rpm hard disk, but was still respectable. In both cases, our results with an AOpen desktop Pentium M board with a similar specification were noticeably better, although video encoding was on par. Sadly, this is one area where Pentium 4-based laptops walk all over Pentium M models, because video encoding loves high clock frequencies and long pipelines.
In contrast, the Pentium M is much easier on batteries than the Pentium 4, although, considering all the high-end kit in the Gen 2, it's not really intended for extended use away from a power outlet. We scarcely managed two hours of everyday use on one charge, and even less when gaming. That said, this is still a lot more than the hour or so that most power laptops are capable of.
There's one major drawback with the Gen 2, though, which may cause LAN party aficionados to stick with their Shuttles: the price. At £2,560 for our review sample, this is a hideously expensive laptop, even if it does include a generous three-year on-site warranty. You could almost get an Athlon 64 FX-55 desktop with an Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra SLI setup for the same money. However, our sample wasn't the basic Gen 2, and Dell charges through the nose for upgrades, particularly RAM. In fact, the upgrade from 512MB to 1GB costs an utterly ridiculous £399.50. We found 512MB of Crucial memory that was specifically compatible with the Gen 2 available for £50.61 (www.crucial. com). So we'd recommend buying the Gen 2 with 512MB, selling the two 256MB SO-DIMMs on eBay, and getting Crucial memory instead. You'd even save money if you threw away the existing memory.
CONCLUSION
Dell does itself no favours by charging so much for essential upgrades, such as 1GB of RAM, as they merely inflate the cost of the laptop to a price that's comparable with significantly more powerful desktops or small form factor PCs. This is a shame because, otherwise, the Gen 2 is a big step in the right direction for mobile entertainment, thanks mainly to the powerful graphics chip, speedy Pentium M and superb TFT screen. This is the only laptop that delivers the goods for high-resolution gaming; it's just a shame that Dell hasn't been smarter in its pricing.
