Portable computers have become more and more popular with the advent of the low-cost, low-performance sub-notebooks running Linux, that allow users to stay connected to the Internet while on the road.

However, mobile computing is more than Asustek's Eee PC or Intel's Classmate, and the rich offering can suit both the office guy and the enthusiast gamer alike. In fact, the existing technology is able to deliver notebooks that easily outperform fully-fledged desktop systems.

The undisputed leader of the mobile powerhorses line-up is Alienware's m9750 Creative/Pro laptop PC, that comes with two Nvidia GeForce 8700M GT graphics cards with 2 x 512 MB of GDDRR3 memory onboard, 200GB of RAID 1 storage space and 4GB of DDR2 system memory. The central piece of the system is the Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 processor running at 2.33 GHz. Fragging takes place on the 17-inch WUXGA display running at a blaring resolution of 1920×1200.

Asustek comes with a matching offering with its ASUS G2Sg-A1 mobile gaming rig. The computer is powered by a 2.5Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo T9300. The graphics system is powered by Nvidia's GeForce 8700M GT graphic card, while the computer's storage is handled by a 320GB Serial ATA disk. The G2Sg-A1 behemoth managed to achieve 4800 points in the 3Dmark06 benchmarking suite.

M-TECH's D900C rig is extremely suitable for hardcore gamers and graphics specialists. Carrying dual SLI Nvidia 8800 GTX cards (1 GB of GDDR3), the rig comes with one of Intel's quad-core powerhorses manufactured at the 45-nanometer production node. The 17-inch display is able to deliver resolutions of up to 1680 x 1050, which should be fine for an immersive gaming experience.

Dell's XPS M173 notebook is one of the company's highest-end offerings and sports a 2.8Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo with two Nvidia SLI GeForce 8800M GTX graphics cards (1 GB of GDDR3 each). It is one of the most powerful notebooks on the market and supports up to 4 GB of RAM, while the other components can be customized to match the user's power necessities.

Sony could not miss the performance LAN party: the VAIO FZ490NGB sports an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor running at 2.6 GHz, three full GB of system RAM and a GeForce 8400 M GT with 256MB of video RAM. Don't worry about the low graphics memory, the system would compensate for that even when it comes to the most intensive games (Crysis is still out of discussion).

Dell makes a comeback with the XPS 2010 model, a sleek and powerful mobile computer that is especially crafted for media center applications. It comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 processor, up to 4GB of RAM, a 256MB ATI Radeon X1800 graphics card and built-in Blu-Ray burner.

Toshiba scores with its Qosmio G45-AV690 notebook model, that features 3GB of RAM, Nvidia's TurboCache technology and 512MB of GDDR2 video memory. Gaming enthusiasts can share another 256 MB of system RAM for a total of 767MB of video memory. Let the games begin!

US-based computer manufacturer Gateway reaches the top with its P-171XL FX notebook PC. Designed with gaming in mind, the new offering packs a 2.8 Ghz Intel Core Duo processor and a Nvidia GeForce 8800M GT graphics card. The laptop supports up to 4 GB of system RAM and comes with 400GB of hard-disk drive storage. If you feel that it's a little too "slow", then remember that it's a laptop almost anybody can afford.

EUROCOM's M590KE Emperor-X notebook computer comes with a huge 20.1-inch WSXGA+ display, fueled by Nvidia's dual 512MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX graphics cards. The M590KE comes with 2GB of DDR2-667 system memory and 200GB of conventional hard-disk drive on a SATA-II port.

Last, but not least, the XSLPRO-TL66 gaming rig sports an AMD Turion X2 TL-66 at 2.3GHz, dual Nvidia GeForce Go 7950 graphics cards with 512MB RAM, two 200GB SATA hard drives and a built-in HD-DVD player for a long since dead high-definition format. Interesting enough, this is the only notebook in the top 10 list that comes with an AMD processor.