Xtreme XT - PC Advisor (Jul '05)
Rock’s Xtreme offers a top-notch specification and a price tag to match. At nearly £1,600 all in, the XT is aimed at people with slightly deeper pockets than most. Is it really worth the money?
The answer depends entirely on what you want from a notebook. If you’re after top performance in a wide range of applications, then perhaps not. However, if you want something for games on the move, or need the best graphics rendering for design purposes, then the Xtreme XT might just be your cup of tea.
The ATI mobility Radeon X800 graphics card, based on PCI Express architecture, is a relative newcomer to the mobile graphics scene. The model in the Rock is beefier than most, offering 256MB of memory.
With a 3.2GHZ Pentium 4 processor and 1GB of DDR RAM to back it up, the X800 powered the Xtreme XT to a frame rate of 69.4fps (frames per second) in doom 3 at a resolution of 1,024x768 - a result many high- end desktop PCs would struggle to match. The 15.4in TFT display does an excellent job with the visuals, offering vibrant colours and smooth lines.
But the Rock doesn’t quite do enough in our WorldBench 5 tests for us to be convinced it is worth the money. Scoring only 84, it’s a way off what it should be at this price.
Not many notebooks have room for an extra optional drive or battery, but the Xtreme XT does. It’s fitted with a dual-layer DVD writer on the right hand side of the chassis, yet there’s still space for the upgrades to this already high-powered system.
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VERDICT: |
With a great set of specs and a generous three-year warranty, the Rock is worth a look if you have a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket. We would like it to have performed a little better in our benchmark tests, but have to admit the Xtreme XT can’t be matched for its gaming prowess. |
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BUILD QUALITY: |
8/10 |
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FEATURES: |
8/10 |
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VALUE FOR MONEY: |
7/10 |
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