A attempting to blur the boundaries between a desktop and a notebook, PC MicroWorks Black-Hawk XR5 incorporates a number of features not always available in portable machines. This beast can house a quad-core Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 and up to two Nvidia GeForce Go 8800 GTX cards in SLI, 4GB of DDR2-800, and three 3Gbps SATA drives in a RAID. Additional options for the XR5 include EVDO or HSDPA connectivity, GPS, and a biometric fingerprint scanner. Another add-on, the PC MicroWorks three-year Diamond Blanket Protection Program, gives you access to wholesale upgrades to your notebook, a trade-in credit, and more. See PC MicroWorks’ warranty page for more details.
The test system had a single 8800 GTX, yet it still broke 10000 in 3DMark06, PC MicroWorks expects the dual-card model to score over 14000. As you might expect, the XR5 draws a lot of power, lasting for about 71 minutes on battery while downloading a file over the notebook’s integrated 802.11a/g/n adapter.
The XR5’s 17-inch WUXGA+ wide screen display was crisp and clear. This display supports full HD resolution at 1,900 x 1,200 for Blu-ray movie playback and 3D applications. For additional flexibility and compatibility with applications, my test unit shipped with a dual-boot configuration running Windows XP and Vista Ultimate.