Eurocom Eurocom D900C Phantom-X

Our review model came with a 2.66-GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6700 including a 1066-MHz frontside bus, 4GB of RAM, and a 512MB nVidia GeForce Go7950 card. It earned a record-setting WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 97 (as of 10/25/2007), a mark 29 percent higher than the average score of 75 earned by 17 recently tested desktop replacements. It blew through office applications such as Word and Photoshop, and was especially fast at burning discs in comparison with other dual-core notebooks. For example, in disc burning it was twice as fast as a top-performing 2-GHz Core 2 Duo-equipped laptop, a Dell Inspiron 1720. The Inspiron 1720 needed 15 minutes to finish the task, while the D900C Phantom-X required only 7.5 minutes. In gaming, the Eurocom's speed enhancements were less dramatic but still good for a desktop replacement, as the D900C Phantom-X averaged frame rates of 137 and 114 for Doom 3 and Far Cry, respectively. The price of all this speed, however: a meager battery life of 1 hour, 17 minutes.

Except for some cheesy rubber port covers that will quickly get lost, the D900C Phantom-X is thoughtfully crafted. It weighs a hefty 11.3 pounds (minimum) and measures 2.5 inches tall with the lid closed. In other words, it's big, although the polished metal case tones make it look slimmer. Rear vents keep the notebook running cool. I heard no fan noise whatsoever from this remarkably quiet portable.