Maingear eX-L 15-Inch Notebook Packs Resolution and Power

By Geoff Duncan April 20, 2010

Boutique computer maker Maingear realizes that notebook users want to be able to play high-end gaming titles just like everyone else, but don’t necessarily want the pain of carting around a full-blown desktop-replacement notebook with a 17-inch or larger display. Enter the new Maingear eX-L 15, which the company touts as the more powerful 15-inch HD gaming notebook on the planet. And the have some reason to make that claim: the system can pack an Intel Core i7 processor running at up to 2.66 GHz, an touts ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 graphics with 1 GB of video memory and DirectX 11 support, pushing a 15-inch display with as many as 1,920 by 1,080 pixels of resolution.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

“The eX-L was designed for maximum performance in a portable package,” said Maingear CEO and founder Wallace Santos, in a statement. “With the DirectX 11 performance of the Radeon HD 5870, we’re not only able to provide that performance, but do it with exceptional visual quality for today’s and tomorrow’s hottest titles.”

As with any custom gaming rig,the configuration options on the eX-L 15 are variable: the base unit starts out with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 250 GB hard drive, 8× DVD dual layer burner, and a 1,600 by 900-pixel display. Configurable options include SSDs, more capacious hard drives, faster Core i5 and i7 processors, up to 8 GB of RAM, Blu-ray/DVD combo players, and a choice of 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate. All the eX-L systems sport a two megapixel webcam, 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth wireless networking, gigabit Ethernet, and an integrated flash card reader.

Pricing for the eX-L 15 starts at $1,599, and prices can easily climb over $4,000 with enough bells and whistles.

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