Progress XTG Gaming Notebooks Packs Core i7 CPU and Dual GTX 480M Graphics

Although high-end desktop processors are far from what I would call laptop friendly, this hasn't stopped notebook manufacturers everywhere to release such solutions to the market, Progress being the latest company to take this route by building the Intel Core i7 packing XTG series.

Like many other companies that develop such solutions, Progress went with an LGA 1366 CPU, a 3.06GHz clocked Core i7 950 to be more precise, this fast chip being paired together with an Intel X58 chipset, 6GB of tri-channel DDR3-1066 memory and dual GeForce GTX 480M graphics cards in SLI.

Storage is provided by two Intel X25-M 80GB SSD set up in RAID 0 mode as well as by a regular hard drive that can range between 320GB and 750GB in capacity, according to the user's needs.

In addition, storage space can also be expanded by installing an external hard drive as the XTG features two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports.

Speaking of available connectors, Progress' creation comes with everything that anyone could want from a high-end gaming system, including HDMI and DVI video outputs, a 9 in 1 card reader and Firewire support, the notebooks multimedia capabilities being further expanded by the built-in Blu-ray drive and 5.1-channel speakers.

All these are put to good use thanks to a 17.3-inch Full HD widescreen display, that seems to be featuring a glossy finish.

As it is usually the case with such laptops, the XTG weights a hefty 5.5kg and is far larger than most gaming notebooks available out there since it needs to accommodate the beefier cooling system required for keeping the CPU and GPU temperature in check.

Unfortunately, we don't know if this is available for purchase outside of Japan as Progress is pretty much a local manufacturer.

As far as pricing goes, the XTG i7950XN is listed at 398,000 yen, which translates to about $4,750 US. (via Expreview)