NVIDIA launched a full range of mobile Fermi-based GPUs at the start of this month but we still haven't seen too many laptops taking advantage of the new silicon. Toshiba has announced that it's updating its gaming-powerhouse laptop, though, and including the new GeForce GTX 460M to boot.
The Qosmio X500 is an 18.4in behemoth that's definitely more of a desktop-replacement than a laptop. Under the hood will be a choice of mobile Intel CPUs from the Core i5 and i7 families in both dual- and quad-core flavours with four, six or eight gigabytes of DDR3, depending on the configuration.
Taking care of the graphics will be a 1.5GB GeForce GTX 460M that should provide about 40 per cent better performance than the GTS 360M installed in current models. This will drive the luscious LED-backlit screen, though unfortunately Tosh hasn't detailed the native resolution. However, the incumbent models - which appear to use the same chassis - came with a choice of 1,920x1,080px or 1,680x945px resolution panels.
Otherwise, the case supports all of the normal ports and connectors, including HDMI-out, ExpressCard, eSata, USB 2.0, optical S/PDIF audio-out and a HD webcam. There's even the option of a Blu-ray drive for taking high-def movies on the go.
The new Qosmio X500 should see a pretty healthy performance-boost from the new GPU, though it'll be landing on September 26 at a rather costly $1,299.99 (around £1015 inc VAT). However, the manufacturer only offers the higher-spec models of the current X500 in the UK starting at £1300, meaning that the new models may be quite pricey when they arrive on these shores.
