Gateway P-172X FX Desktop Replacement Laptop
At a Glance
-
Gateway P-172X FX
As an affordable portable gaming box, the P-172 XFX gets a couple things right and a couple others painfully wrong.
A notebook catering to the gaming set is sure to deliver a
Before even jacking open the 17-inch display lid, you can't help but notice the copper-colored trim lining this portable player. From the font choices on the keys and color scheme to the glowing, backlit shortcuts atop the keyboard, this is obviously targeted at those who attempt to "pimp their rigs."
The hard plastic, glossy exterior almost makes you feel like you're slipping into some racecar. Well, one that revs a
Sure enough, in our WorldBench 6 performance tests. the P-172X FX finished right behind the powerful Micro Express IFL9025, with a score of 96.
This laptop also hosts a slew of useful outputs, including a FireWire
The P-172X FX's keys feel sturdy, are well spaced,
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the trackpad. Oh, sure, the pad is the "right" size and has a handy scroll zone, but something's amiss. The touchpad is positioned
Someone say peripherals? Two words: Buy headphones! The P-172X FX has some of the lousiest audio to excrete from a desktop replacement notebook. Watching a monster take Manhattan in Cloverfield, the two top-mounted speakers sound terribly tinny. And whether listening to that symphony of destruction or Metallica's Enter Sandman, the audio sounds so hollow you might as well use an empty soup can.
Battery life is another shortcoming. In our tests, the P-172X FX ran for just 2 hours, 42 minutes on a charge; the average I've battery life for laptops in this category is about 3 hours.
The notebook's moderate price tag ($2000) and solid performance


































