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Sometimes you just gotta play.

Unfortunately for notebook users, even the best full-size systems can be lousy for playing games because they lack the graphics oomph to run cool-looking 3D titles such as Quake III.

NVidia's new GeForce2 Go mobile graphics controller changes all that, offering a number of revolutionary improvements over previous generations of laptop graphics. Great graphics on a notebook? We've heard that before. But our skepticism faded after just a few minutes with a preproduction version of Toshiba's Satellite 2805 S402, the first to feature the new GeForce2 Go (expect systems from vendors such as Dell to follow shortly). Fluid and detailed visuals were backed by terrific test scores as the unit handled games like MDK2 and Test Drive 6 with relative ease. Oh, and it's good for work presentations, too.

The moderately priced ($2749) 2805's other specs match its fancy graphics. The system basics include a top-line Pentium III-850 CPU with SpeedStep, 128MB of SDRAM, 16MB of SGRAM for graphics, a 20GB hard drive, a 15-inch active-matrix display, and integrated 56-kilobits-per-second modem and Ethernet. It also boasts Toshiba's integrated three-in-one optical drive with 6X DVD-ROM, 4X CD-RW, and 24X CD-ROM speeds. Add to that a SmartMedia slot, a FireWire port, two USB ports, and Yamaha sound (complete with a subwoofer), and you have one serious 8.7-pound (loaded for travel) notebook.

More Than Skin Deep

The GeForce2 Go is the first mobile graphics package to include what NVidia calls a graphics processing unit. It enables some of the more sophisticated graphics-processing functions found in recent desktops, including demanding transform and dynamic lighting (T&L) functions. Relieving the CPU of such tasks results in better overall graphics performance. In addition, the GeForce2 Go includes functions that add realism to effects such as smoke, fog, and textures. It can also handle HDTV signals, among other functions.

The GeForce2 Go GPU processes 286 million pixels per second. That's small potatoes compared with the 1 billion pixels per second that NVidia's own GeForce2 Ultra desktop graphics can handle, but NVidia suggests that it's good enough to provide 3D graphics rendered at speeds up to ten times faster than today's average notebook graphics chip sets.

Looking Good

Notebooks should increase productivity, but the 2805 may prove even more adept at improving your aim. In comprehensive, informal tests using the graphics-rich Unreal Tournament, we got impressive detail and texturing as well as fluid video--easily the best we've seen on a notebook. DVD movies looked equally stunning.

The 2805 also scored well on our PC WorldBench 2000 tests, garnering a top-ranked result of 146. We expected the 2805 to really shine in our stand-alone graphics tests, which we generally reserve only for high-performance desktops, and the unit didn't disappoint. On a series of demanding games and 3D applications, it maintained averages significantly better than 60 frames per second (fps) at a low resolution of 640 by 480 with 16-bit color. At its native resolution of 1024 by 768 and 16-bit color, it managed satisfactory performance, with an average of well above 30 fps. (Standard movies display at 24 fps, TV at 30 fps. The human eye generally can't perceive more than 60 fps.)

While the 2805 performed well beyond the capabilities of most notebooks at 16-bit color (65,536 colors), its overall scores didn't come close to the numbers of desktops with good graphics cards. And when we pushed the 2805 to 32-bit color (16.7 million colors), its frame rate slowed noticeably. Regardless, most users should be well satisfied with the unit's capabilities.

Serious PC gamers who've waited years for a mobile system that fulfills their needs, as well as home and small-business users interested in a solid desktop replacement with CD-RW backup capabilities (and the mojo to run the occasional game or DVD), should be well served by this NVidia technology. And the Toshiba Satellite 2805 is a visually stunning example of the platform's power.

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