Laptop Club

Hard-core gaming laptops were once thought of as sticker-shock items, but they've changed sharply of late in both looks and price. In their new incarnation, they're acting as big-screen media centers and desktop replacements, now that prices for the fastest parts have plummeted to a level that makes them affordable to the masses. At $1,800 (street), the Gateway P-7808u is aggressively priced for a gaming rig, with a mobile Intel quad-core processor and a powerful Nvidia graphics card built into a light 17-inch platform. Though its looks could use a huge splash of imagination, this hard-core gaming laptop is a terrific deal no matter how you look at it.

• Price as Tested: $1,800.00 Street
• Type: Gaming, Media
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000
• Processor Speed: 2 GHz
• RAM: 4 GB
• Weight: 8.9 lb
• Screen Size: 17 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 9800M GTS
• Storage Capacity: 5400 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW