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Toshiba Launches Laptop With Three GPUs

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the battery-killers dept.

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."

38 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. Portable Furnace by Brain_Recall · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does it come with its own fire extinguisher?

    1. Re:Portable Furnace by eclectro · · Score: 5, Funny

      Does it come with its own fire extinguisher?

      Actually no. But you can get that at the Autozone when you go to pick up the car battery you'll need.

      --
      Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
    2. Re:Portable Furnace by the_womble · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The whole point of this is to improve battery life compared to laptops that only have the higher performance GPU: you use the more efficient GPU when you do not need the performance, and the better performance one only when you do.

    3. Re:Portable Furnace by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 3, Funny

      A three GPU notebook is actually Toshiba's way of making triple damn sure that nerds don't reproduce.

    4. Re:Portable Furnace by jandrese · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You say nobody uses laptops for games, but you clearly have not been to any college lan parties lately. This is clearly a luggable designed for gaming, not a commuter laptop. The battery life probably sucks and it no doubt weighs a ton, but even so it's a lot easier to carry around than a full tower and the game performance should be more than adequate. Sure it'll be obsolete real fast, but these kinds of laptops aren't meant for the budget minded consumer.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    5. Re:Portable Furnace by PitaBred · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "obsolete" is a relative term, too. Some people who buy these realize that brand-new games might need some settings turned down, but they're still playable. Not everyone needs to run Crysis at 2560x1980 or whatever the hell it is as soon as it comes out. Two 9800's in SLI are pretty damn quick, and they'll still be pretty quick in 3 or 4 years, when laptops normally start dying. Game manufacturers make sure that people with older hardware can play their games because very, very few people actually buy new, top-of-the-line hardware to play ANY games.

      --
      My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
    6. Re:Portable Furnace by Artuir · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "But who wants/needs the extra weight and expense and unupgradability of an SLI card you're almost never going to use?"

      Uh, the people this laptop is obviously targeted to?

      They don't make this kind of thing to sell it to everyone under the sun. That's like saying a Formula 1 race car is for everyone. (Gotta keep it car related for you folks, apparently.) It is very obviously a gamer's laptop and it is quite a smart design if you look at it from that standpoint. If you're using it to do office work all of the time you're obviously "doing it wrong", as the interweb sayeth.

    7. Re:Portable Furnace by mikael · · Score: 2, Informative

      Every academic and industrial research worker now uses laptops for presenting research papers at conferences, now that digital overhead projectors are now standard (just plug the external video cable into the laptop, set up dual display and everything is exactly the same when the presentation was prepared).

      For those who are in the field of 3D visualisation/animation/rendering research, having a laptop that can do high-performance 3D graphics is a big gain. Instead of just presenting screenshots, pre-rendered movies, it is possible to have the actual application running in real-time.

      You can get upgradeable graphics cards for laptops now (the MXM standard). There are also mini-desktop units (Shuttle XPC) which can be transported as carry-on luggage on an airplane.


      ASUS offered an external PCI-Express card connected using a docking bay

      MSI Luxium also did the same.

      For me, the ideal solution would be to have the docking bays on the underside of the laptop with additional power cables plugging into the main power brick for the laptop. It is a real pain having to go through airport security and take out the entire contents of your laptop bag (cables, PCI cards, DVD's, connectors, and USB dongles, power bricks) just to put them all back in again.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  2. Only two processors? by BrennanM3 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Totally unacceptable, I wouldn't even recommend this for checking your email.

  3. I like this portable-desktop approact to laptops by shinmai · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

  4. ewww by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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!
    1. Re:ewww by ZenShadow · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's called the MacBook Pro.

      --
      -- sigs cause cancer.
    2. Re:ewww by nitsnipe · · Score: 3, Funny

      Here's a sexier one:
      http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tlosborne/Osborne/Osbornehistory/Adamosborne/osbornecomputerspecsheet.jpg

    3. Re:ewww by Draek · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yeah, except that a 9400+9600 hybrid SLI setup isn't the same thing as a twin 9800 SLI one, sorry.

      --
      No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.
    4. Re:ewww by Molochi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If by the same you mean much slower and not significant as a gaming pc, then sure.

      The 9600M GT is a pretty craptastic videocard for a $2500+ notebook.

      --
      "The Adobe Updater must update itself before it can check for updates. Would you like to update the Adobe Updater now?"
  5. Hot, butt.... by halsver · · Score: 2, Funny

    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...
  6. I see where this is going... by Frizzle+Fry · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades

    --
    I'd rather be lucky than good.
    1. Re:I see where this is going... by llamalicious · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The funny thing about that Onion piece, is the a couple years later Gillette really went and made a five-blade razor.

      Score one for the onion!

    2. Re:I see where this is going... by vux984 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades

      Why stop there? The latest "Gillette Fusion Power Phenom" razor has SIX.

      5 blades plus a 'precision trimmer' on back side.
      Oh... and don't forget: it vibrates too!

      http://www.gillette.com/en-US/#/products/phenom/en-US/index.shtml/

    3. Re:I see where this is going... by vux984 · · Score: 2, Funny

      The funny thing about that Onion piece, is the a couple years later Gillette really went and made a five-blade razor.

      Even funnier, they then went on to one-upped themselves and released one with SIX.

    4. Re:I see where this is going... by vux984 · · Score: 2, Informative

      ... and an aloe strip!

      That changes color over time so you know when its time to replace, with a microchip that modifies its performance based on the age of the blades... don't get me started.

      m not really very knowledgeable about every-day shaving (I have a beard, and I'm ashamed to say I've only ever shaved with a single-blade razor...), but are these surreal straight-out-of-the-onion razors actually any good?

      The single blade bic razors that come in a bag and cost 50 cents each or something are utter and complete garbage. Gillete razors ARE infinitely superior...but it could be just the quality of the the blade, rather than the quantity. In any case I honestly don't think the new 5 blade system is any better than mach3. (I don't know if i ever tried the 2-blade.) And I recall that even with the mach3 it was a pain shaving around things like beards because of all the blades... so the new razors 6th blade, the single 'precision' blade on the back is actually a welcome addition.

      I haven't bothered with the vibrating systems myself, yet.

  7. I actually hadn't thought of it before.. by shinmai · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ..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.

  8. The problem with desktop replacements by Piata · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

    1. Re:The problem with desktop replacements by scandalon · · Score: 2, Informative

      I highly recommend checking out LaptopVideo2Go. You can install the desktop drivers on your laptop with a simple swap of an .inf file.

      --
      "Pain is scary."
  9. Battery Life by aardwolf64 · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

  10. Pricing? by CaptainPatent · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.
    1. Re:Pricing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's not the UK price, it's the US price converted to GBP. It's entirely conceivable - and, in fact, likely - that the laptop will retail for a different, higher price in the UK.

      At least, that's the way it always goes.

    2. Re:Pricing? by should_be_linear · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Its more like:

      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.

      --
      839*929
  11. Implementation is key to this by GIL_Dude · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

  12. Does this mean death of The BOX? by nitsnipe · · Score: 2, Insightful

    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.

  13. Who needs battery life... by Wiarumas · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who needs battery life when you can play Fallout3 on the crapper!

    --
    I will bend like a reed in the wind.
  14. Re:Why? by ZachPruckowski · · Score: 2, Informative

    LAN Parties. It's not so much a laptop as a portable computer.

  15. Re:Cool, but.. by CaptainPatent · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can it run Crysis?

    run crysis?

    With how hot that thing gets it is crysis!!

    --
    Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
  16. bois not linux or vm friendly by sgt+scrub · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.
  17. What's funny is by areusche · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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!

  18. I read the name as "Quasimoto" by iminplaya · · Score: 2, Funny

    Because that's who you're gonna look like after carrying this thing around for a couple of weeks.

    --
    What?
  19. TOSHIBA Qosmio - Identity crisis comes standard by RudeIota · · Score: 2, Interesting
    A battery-conscious, 10 pound laptop that is over 2" thick.

    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.
  20. GPUs ?? I want *CPUs* !!! by mmu_man · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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 ?)