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Toshiba Launches Laptop With Three GPUs
arcticstoat writes to mention that Toshiba's latest line of high-powered laptops has three GPUs included. Both the Qosmio X305-Q706 and Q708 come with an integrated GeForce 9400M for day-to-day processing tasks but have a pair of GeForce 9800Ms in SLI that kick in when you need the extra horsepower. "The [Qosmio] X305-Q706 costs $1,999 US (£1,257) in the US, although we haven't seen any UK pricing on the laptops yet. The system comes with a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 and 4GB of RAM, while the costlier X305-Q708 comes with a quad-core 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300 CPU."
Does it come with its own fire extinguisher?
Can it run Crysis?
Totally unacceptable, I wouldn't even recommend this for checking your email.
At first the idea sounded idiotic, but I might actually replace my outdated desktop with something like this. I've now used laptop computers pretty much exclusively for about two years now. I do have two desktops at home, but I rarely use them, and they're more for quests who stay long enough to need a computer they can use. I do everything on my laptop, and if I need more uumpf, I use VNC to connect to our bedroom-server-thing or use one of the desktops remotely. I notice that whenever I actually sit down on a desktop computer for more than a few minutes, at some point I feel the need to pick the thing up and move somewhere to do other things while continuing to work with the machine. While there have been more and more powerful laptops in recent years, I've still been waiting for a real powerhouse of a machine to actually toss out my old desktop instead of just replacing my latest laptop. Something like this might be it.
My, that's an ugly looking laptop. Here's hoping Toshiba (or someone else) makes something similar in a nicer looking body.
This guy's the limit!
Does it run Linux?
Yes it can run Crysis, but you shouldn't put anything flammable near it while you play.
Roughly half my comments are never submitted. You may be reading the better half...
Whats the battery life when all the GPUs kick in 5 minutes???
Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades
I'd rather be lucky than good.
..but Toshiba often seems to launch new and previously unheard of things in their computers. Still they're not very popular (at least with anyone I know) when compared to the more "mundane" manufacturers.
Why is this a laptop?
As someone that is using a laptop as desktop replacement, I have to say it's great to be able to have so much portable power but it does have it's downsides:
1. They tend to weigh a lot, making travel with it a bit of a pain and an annoyance for daily use in multiple locations.
2. They tend to run extremely hot.
3. They cost a lot more for the equivalent desktop hardware.
4. Less upgradable.
5. Nvidia doesn't update their mobile chipset drivers.
My next computer will definitely be a desktop.
Battery life is an amazing 2.4 seconds, but you can buy an extended battery and extend the life to 1 minute 15 seconds. Or, almost long enough for it to boot up.
Better hardware then the mac book pro at the same price. why can't apple have at least one 9800m in the mac book pro? at $2000 9600m is a poor gpu for the price.
Sure, we could go to four GPUs next, like the competition. That seems like the logical thing to do. After all, three worked out pretty well, and four is the next number after three. So let's play it safe. Why innovate when we can follow? Oh, I know why: Because we're a business, that's why!
You think it's crazy? It is crazy. But I don't give a shit. From now on, we're the ones who have the edge in the multi-GPU game. Are they the best a man can get? Fuck, no. Apple is the best a man can get.
The [Qosmio] X305-Q706 costs $1,999 US (£1,257) in the US, although we haven't seen any UK pricing on the laptops yet.
I think I saw UK pricing on that somewhere... oh yeah:
The [Qosmio] X305-Q706 costs $1,999 US (£1,257) in the US, although we haven't seen any UK pricing on the laptops yet.
Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
After having fought with the Lenovo T400 (with the ATI graphics and the built in Intel graphics) in "switchable" mode, I can only hope that Toshiba was able to implement theirs in a way that works well even across the edge cases of configuration and usage.
For example on the T400, it switches (by default) to the Intel integrated when you go to battery. If you use the machine on a port replicator with dual monitors (like is common for us) you get the two screens identified as number 3 and 4 instead of 1 and 2. AND - when you redock, they switch back and forth (primary screen switches from one side to the other). It works so poorly in a docking scenario that we just disabled it in the BIOS (so it is always on the ATI or 'discrete' graphics).
This is one of those ideas that sounds great, but if implemented poorly leaves me scratching my head and wondering why someone designed something so stupid.
Here's hoping that Lenovo works this out and that this implementation from Toshiba works right out of the gate.
I think there's quite a market for these types of laptops. While the the disadvantages are that they are huge, weight a ton and toast your lap, they pack quite a bit of portable power. But the battery life should be pretty good when you're running with just the integrated graphics.
First they would be ideal for people who go to LAN parties.
Second, if you are a serious designer working in 3D animation this may be the only PC you need.
Thirdly, NVIDIA CUDA has shown a lot of promise so far, with time we will have more applications that make heavy use of the GPU (hopefully a lot of cryptography applications).
And that quad-core cpu should also be really good for running several virtual machines in VMWare (or virtual box or qemu). This laptop can fulfill the heavy computer needs of most users. The only problem is whether you are ready to pay 3 times the price for a bit more portability.
In fairness it looks like they're on the way to developing a solar panel that can power this laptop
Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
Who needs battery life when you can play Fallout3 on the crapper!
I will bend like a reed in the wind.
Yes, I mean literally hot!
IMO... because you are paying for two things - the Apple name and the lack of competition for Apple, since they have closed OS X to only Mac hardware.
Slightly paraphrased: Won't anyone think of the environment?!
Every Toshiba I have looked at, after finding out mine had this issue, has hvm disabled. Not "they use a bios that is not "Intel Virtualization Technology-enabled". Flat out disabled with no way of turning it on. Add to this the fact that every bios update for my laptop has made it more and more difficult to get Linux running properly. No sound? hack bios rebuild kernel and init. No fan for GPU? hack bios - rebuild kernel and init... I'm waiting for the bios that looks to see if I have nothing vista'ish on the drive and disables me turning it on.
Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
It also weighs in at a svelt 11 kilos. Definitely the road warrior's first choice.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930
I never see people actually use the batteries in their laptops. They're always tethered to some wall outlet. That's half the reason I own a laptop! I never carry my magsafe adapter and run all around town with my macbook pro and still can get home with enough charge to plop down on my sofa!
...of one half of 10 minutes.
With Toshiba's new laptop, now I'll know FOR SURE that I can't have children. Time to line my pants with those space shuttle tiles...
Because that's who you're gonna look like after carrying this thing around for a couple of weeks.
What?
This would make a great Macbook Pro!
Does this mean I can finally run vista?
I never carry my magsafe adapter
I think about that, since unless I'm working somewhere I can plop the laptop down on the cable to hold it in place it invariably gets unplugged when a flea sneezes near the adapter and I end up running the battery down anyway.
They should call it "worksafe", because it keeps you safe from having to actually work.
One processor to receive the mail and read it. One processor to compose the mail and confide it. One processor to bind them all down as it plays that goddamn embedded Adobe Flash applet.
Dimensions: 16.2" x 12.0" x 1.7-2.5"
Weight: Starting at 9.04 lbs.
Additional specs
Fact: Everything I say is fiction.
Plus, as other posters have pointed out, you're paying for something not to look hideously ugly. Go look at the pictures of the Toshiba - you might as well wear a neon "Beer Me!" sign and a wardrobe covered in "2 Fast 2 Furious" logos, too, since you're already going to be laughed at if seen in public with this thing. This thing isn't just ugly, it's garish.
I'm guessing here, but I suspect the MacBook Pro also weighs less.
The refined the laptop so much, they made it a desktop! Sweet.
I have spoken'eth.
Now that's going to lower a lot of guys sperm count.
it's a laptop.
It's got too many GPUs to be a laptop!
Oh wait...actually you're right. It can't be a laptop unless it comes with asbestos pants or its own carbonite chamber... sorry, my bad. Yea, it'd be completely ridiculous to build a 'laptop' like that.
I am not an expert. If I am misled in something, please correct me.
There's no hybrid SLI on the MBP.
"The Adobe Updater must update itself before it can check for updates. Would you like to update the Adobe Updater now?"
Honestly, I think it's a waste of money, and space to have 3 GPUs. I'm not sure if it's possible, but wouldn't it make more sense to just use 1 GPU for everyday ops and have the other one kick in SLI when you need it? That would be a more efficient way of pulling off the trick.
I don't care if it draws more polygons per second! I'd rather have 4 cpus I can independantly switch on and off at will when needed, as BeOS could!
This would help with battery probably more than speedstep.
I've been dreaming about this for a decade. (Why didn't I patent this btw ?)
Hey, at least it doesn have a giant illuminated Toshiba logo on the back of the screen!