Gateway P-7805u FX Edition

Pros: 4gb ddr3 (not ddr2 like competitors), 1gb 9800 vid card brilliant. WUXGA 1900x1200 1080P display... 2.26ghz core2 duo... space for extra sata disk INSIDE the case (raid 0 or 1, or just a second disk). COMPETITION COSTS $800-$1000 more at least

Cons: big beautiful 17" screen and a decent footprint compared to the 15.6" asus (e.g.), only 1" longer and 1.5" deeper -- still, it's heavier than the old 15.4 i've carried for a few years... I can deal with it, and it's not the heaviest by any stretch

Summary: The "Pros" above tell it all --- an AMAZING machine for the money. Not just for gaming either. Video and/or Audio production will go amazingly well on this little monster. My primary use will be multitrack studio with plugins and synths, etc... a great machine for this, as well as anything else you want to throw at it... unless you want a mini-netbook - there's no reason not to grab it while you can --- they're going fast I believe

Updated on Feb 8, 2011

2011-02-08
My P-7805u FX is still running like a champ. I am upgrading the CPU to a 3.06ghz chip. I always use a dual fan cooler (beneath), I anticipate no heat issues. This is moving into it's third year for me, and is the BEST LAPTOP I HAVE OWNED, by far (at least 10 by now). I am not a "hardcore" gamer, but the 1gb ddr3 9800M GTS GPU is still plenty powerful today; coupled with the 1900x1200. For me, dual 3.06ghz cores will scream through my DAW chores (music tracking/production), and the ExpressCard slot has turned out to be a huge bonus, as using a DSP product (UAD2 Solo w/embedded SHARC chip) allows me to run audio processors on the card, freeing up the CPU for other things (like running the DAW!). This is a FANTASTIC laptop. With the 1900x1200, was perhaps the best Gateway ever offered - certainly the best deal! I'd pay quite a bit more for a new Gateway of similar quality and (state-of-art for the time) power, and hopefully there will be one in a year or two. :)