14 DAY TRIAL // Asus has just started selling another desktop replacement notebook in Europe, the X93SV, which is built around an Full HD 18.4-inch display and was designed to support 3.5-inch desktop hard drives.
Under the bonnet, the X93SV sports some serious horsepower as its based on Intel's second generation Core processors, also known by the code name of Sandy Bridge.
Users have the option of choosing between three such chips, the Core i3-2310M, Core i5-2410M and Core i7-2670QM, the latter of which includes four processing cores working at a base frequency of 2.2GHz.
The fast Intel processors can be seconded by up to 16GB of DDR3 system memory (four SODIMM sockets are available) and by a discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics card.
This comes equipped with 1GB of DDR3 video buffer memory, while its 96 CUDA cores are clocked at 1344MHz.
Despite the powerful configuration, the most distinctive feature of the X93SV is its support for desktop-sized 3.5-inch hard drives. The notebook can also be fitted with a second 2.5-inch unit, but the 3.5-inch HDD will act as the system's master drive, according to Asus' documentation.
In the configuration available right now for purchase in Europe, the primary 3.5-inch hard drive provides 1TB of storage capacity, while the smaller 2.5-inch HDD delivers an additional 750GB.
Outside of this features, the rest of the specifications list is pretty much standard as Asus' desktop replacement includes a 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth V3.0 connectivity, Altec Lansing speakers, a 3-in-1 card reader, 0.3MP webcam and an HDMI video output.
USB 3.0 support is also part of the package, one such port being made available by Asus, and the notebook can be configured to feature a Blu-ray optical drive.
The 18.4-inch screen sports a native Full HD resolution, and the whole notebook, including the 6-cell battery, weights roughly 4.11Kg (about 9 pounds). Pricing for the Asus notebook has been set at €1149 ($1582 US). (via Laptop Spirit)