Dell has upped the specs for its performance notebooks by introducing the option of dual 8800M GTX graphics cards for the XPS M1730. Dell is claiming performance improvements of as much as 49% compared to dual 8700M GT graphics processors, commenting that the notebook is capable of reaching 13,500 points in 3DMark06. However, the extra performance comes at a premium, with the minimum price for this setup being $3,400. That works out at being $1000 more than a single 8700M GT and $700 more than dual 8700M GTs, with the top-spec model costing around $7,000.

Hewlett-Packard has updated this week the HP Pavilion HDX entertainment and gaming notebook with a new graphic card option. The Pavilion HDX, which was available only with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB video card, is now also configurable with the NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS 512MB GPU. This large 15.3-pound laptop features a 20.1-inch display with up to 1920x1200 (1080p) resolution, and is based on the Intel "Santa Rosa" platform with an Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Extreme processor. The notebook features up to 4GB of system memory, up to 500GB hard drive storage capacity, HD DVD and Bly-Ray optical drive options, an integrated TV tuner, and four Altec Lansing speakers accompanied by a subwoofer. Along with regular laptop ports and slots, the HDX provides an HDMI output and an eSATA connector. The basic HP Pavilion HDX configuration is priced at $1,999.

Relatively unknown computer manufacturer WidowPC has become one of the first companies to launch a notebook equipped with NVIDIA's 8800M GTX graphics processor. The Sting 517D2 features up to a 17" 1920x1200 screen, a 512MB 8800M GTX GPU, an Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor running at 2.4GHz, 4GB DDR2 memory and an MTRON 32GB SSD hard drive - quite an impressive combination. The downside is that you will have to pay at least $4,744 for those specs (chuck in a couple of extras like a DVD burner and Vista Ultimate and you'll be getting on for $5,000), but if you want the best portable graphics money can buy, this is the notebook for you.

At a special event in the NYC Alienware unveiled two extremely powerful gaming notebooks with dual NVIDIA 8800M graphics cards and Intel Core 2 Extreme processor. The 17-inch m17x and 15-inch m15x are typical Alienware machines with high-end specifications and "out of this world design." The big brother m17x is a powerful desktop replacement with extreme specs costing more than $5,628. For that kind of money you'll receive dual 512MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8800M GTX graphics in SLI, 4GB RAM, 640GB hard drive, 17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD with Clearview Technology, 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo Processor X7900, 1GB Intel Turbo Memory, TV Tuner, Blu-ray, 802.11a/b/g/n wireless, and Vista Ultimate. It's younger sibling m15x comes with 15.4" WidescreenUXGA (1080p) screen and a regular 8800 (no SLI). It also boasts a unique BinaryGFX feature which lets you switch between integrated graphics and dedicated graphics depending on your need. The only bad news is that the m17x and m15x won't be available until Q1 of 2008.

This holiday season a new era of PC games, featuring advanced new graphics effects, will immerse gamers in cinematic realism like never before. Games like Crysis, Unreal Tournament 3, and Call of Duty 4 are sure bets to be at the top of the holiday gift list for the significant gamer in your life. And to supply the best visual experience when playing these new games, a new generation of notebook PCs equipped with ultra-modern GPUs (graphics processing units), such as the just-released GeForce 8800M notebook GPUs from NVIDIA, will soon be available for order from notebook makers.