The Rock Xtreme 770 contains the most powerful processor in this Labs: an Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme X9000. This runs at a stonking 2.8GHz and, when coupled with 4GB of RAM, propelled the Rock to a score of 1.25 in our 2D benchmarks.
Surprisingly, though, despite the fastest clock speed, the Rock isn’t the fastest machine on test: the HP, Sony, Acer and Dell XPS M1730 are all quicker. The latter is also speedier in 3D, although performance from Rock’s 8800M GTX isn’t to be sniffed at. In our medium-quality Crysis benchmark, the Rock managed 45fps: plenty to handle almost all modern games.
The rest of the spec is what you’d expect. A Blu-ray reader – and a 17in screen with a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 – allows for Full HD playback. There’s draft-n wireless, too, and the Rock is well appointed with four USB ports complemented by FireWire, four audio jacks, a card reader and S-Video.
All of this is encased in a rock-solid chassis. The relatively conservative looks – stylish and understated black – conceal superb build quality, with the Xtreme 770 barely flinching under duress.
But the keyboard isn’t great. Several function keys and the number pad are small, without any obvious reason. However, the trackpad and buttons are responsive and comfortable to use.
Battery life is another area where the Rock is mediocre. Light use saw the 770 last just two hours, and the heavy-use test reduced this to just under an hour. It isn’t a huge issue, as we can’t see this 4.1kg laptop leaving home too often.
Despite these indiscretions, however, the Rock Xtreme 770 is still a great desktop replacement. The most powerful processor on test and a quality graphics chipset provide superb performance, and range of features – including Blu-ray and Full HD – is very enticing. It’s one of the most expensive PCs in the Labs this month, but it’s also one of the most powerful, making it a tempting alternative to the HP Pavilion.
Warranty | |
---|---|
Warranty | 3yr collect and return |
Physical specifications | |
Dimensions | 397 x 278 x 53mm (WDH) |
Weight | 4.100kg |
Travelling weight | 5.1kg |
Processor and memory | |
Processor | Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 |
Motherboard chipset | Intel PM965 |
RAM capacity | 4.00GB |
Memory type | DDR2 |
SODIMM sockets free | 0 |
SODIMM sockets total | 2 |
Screen and video | |
Screen size | 17.0in |
Resolution screen horizontal | 1,920 |
Resolution screen vertical | 1,200 |
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 |
Graphics chipset | Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX |
Graphics card RAM | 512MB |
VGA (D-SUB) outputs | 1 |
HDMI outputs | 0 |
S-Video outputs | 1 |
DVI-I outputs | 1 |
DVI-D outputs | 0 |
DisplayPort outputs | 0 |
Drives | |
Capacity | 200GB |
Hard disk usable capacity | 174GB |
Spindle speed | 7,200RPM |
Internal disk interface | SATA/300 |
Hard disk | Seagate ST9200420AS |
Optical disc technology | Blu-ray reader |
Optical drive | Optiarc BC-5500A |
Battery capacity | 4,400mAh |
Replacement battery price ex VAT | £79 |
Replacement battery price inc VAT | £91 |
Networking | |
Wired adapter speed | 1,000Mbits/sec |
802.11a support | yes |
802.11b support | yes |
802.11g support | yes |
802.11 draft-n support | yes |
Integrated 3G adapter | no |
Other Features | |
Wireless hardware on/off switch | no |
Wireless key-combination switch | yes |
Modem | yes |
USB ports (downstream) | 4 |
FireWire ports | 1 |
PS/2 mouse port | no |
9-pin serial ports | 0 |
Parallel ports | 0 |
3.5mm audio jacks | 4 |
SD card reader | yes |
Memory Stick reader | yes |
MMC (multimedia card) reader | yes |
Smart Media reader | no |
Compact Flash reader | no |
xD-card reader | no |
Pointing device type | Touchpad |
Audio chipset | Realtek HD Audio |
Speaker location | Base |
Hardware volume control? | no |
Integrated microphone? | yes |
Integrated webcam? | yes |
Fingerprint reader | yes |
Battery and performance tests | |
Battery life, light use | 2hr 4min |
Battery life, heavy use | 59min |
Overall application benchmark score | 1.25 |
3D performance (crysis) low settings | 92fps |
3D performance setting | Low |
Operating system and software | |
Operating system | Windows Vista Home Premium |
OS family | Windows Vista |
Recovery method | Recovery partition |
Software supplied | Roxio RecordNow |
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