Toshiba Satellite X205-S9359: DX10 to go, please!

Initial Thoughts

We're not done with testing the Satellite X205, but we have been using it enough to come up with some initial impressions. So far, we like what we see, at least for those who don't mind having a larger desktop replacement notebook. Some of the marketing might be a bit confusing, however, so let's clarify a few things.

While the X205 may come with the fastest mobile DX10 solution currently available (outside of an SLI setup), don't be fooled into thinking this will be a blazingly fast gaming notebook. The GeForce Go 7950 GTX is definitely a faster GPU overall, albeit without DX10 or full H.264 decoding support. At the same time, the GeForce 8700M GT shouldn't be considered a slow graphics solution. It performs well enough to run at resolutions up to 1680x1050, provided you are willing to disable antialiasing for the most part and in some cases turn down the detail settings. Gaming notebooks are never cheap, but for $2500 Toshiba offers quite a lot and manages to strike a good balance between raw performance, features, and pricing.

With the rapid advance of computer technology, we're now at the point where many people can easily get by with a midrange notebook. Some will still prefer having a larger display, keyboard, and more performance -- especially gamers -- but for home and business users simply picking up a notebook instead of a new desktop is definitely a viable option. And of course, you can always connect an external monitor and keyboard if necessary. Toshiba goes a step further by integrating additional multimedia functions into their latest notebook. If you need a notebook and you want to watch an occasional HD-DVD, the X205 might actually be cheaper than picking up a set-top HD-DVD player. It's too bad you won't be able to watch a full-length movie on any airplane trips without an extra battery.

If you're looking for the fastest notebook on the planet, the X205 doesn't qualify. Neither is it the best gaming notebook, the smallest notebook, the lightest notebook, the best multimedia notebook, or the cheapest notebook. Most people don't need all of those superlatives, however, so if you're willing to accept a reasonably fast DTR notebook that does very well at playing games at moderate settings and also has some very good multimedia features, this is definitely a notebook to consider purchasing. Stay tuned for more details on the Toshiba X205, where we will take a closer look at the multimedia functions.