When it comes to gaming laptops, buyers often face a direct tradeoff between high-end specs and actual portability. In fact, our review of the 5 best gaming laptops last month featured a number of 16-inch (and larger) behemoths that weigh in closer to a calculus textbook than a paperback. Maingear today announced its Nomad 15, which aims to offer the best of both worlds.
Complementing the company’s feather-weight option, the 11.6-inch Pulse 11, the Nomad 15 boasts a 15.5-inch 1920 x 1080 anti-glare matte screen and clocks in at an average 7.7 pounds – still not light, but not backbreaking either. More importantly, nearly everything in this Windows 7 rig is customizable. Choose your graphics card from the top-of-the-line NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M, GTX 675MX, 675MX, or GTX 680M, all of which allow for Maingear’s one-touch GPU overclocking. The third-generation Intel quad-core i7 processors run as high as 3.8GHz, complemented by up to 32GB of RAM and the option of dual hard drives, either SSD (2 x 256GB) or HHD (2 x 750GB).
But the flashiness doesn’t end there: a backlit keyboard, built-in subwoofer, and complimentary hand-painted chassis (anything from lime-green to Lamborghini-yellow) amp up the cool factor. Both the optical drive and wireless card are upgradeable, while standard ports include HDMI, DVI-I, two USB 2.0, three USB 3.0, and a single Fire Wire. However, be forewarned that goodness comes at a price: the basic setup starts at $1,549, and an all-upgraded version runs a cool $2,599. It may be worth waiting for Maingear’s Black Friday sale, when at least you’ll get free shipping and bonus swag for your arm-and-a-leg.
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