PC games that are resource intensive have been restricted to desktop systems until recently as portable devices were still not powerful enough to allow the games to run smoothly. Usually, these are 3D games that require a lot of CPU and graphics processing power. Even high-end laptops have been unable to meet such demands the same way as their desktop counterparts. Hence, consumers have found it difficult to bring their favorite 3D games along when on the move.
However, with the release of Intel's Core i7 processors, all that is about to change. The Intel Core i7 is a whole new generation of processors that runs on the X58 chipset.
The Core i7 platform offers support for triple-channel DDR3 memory. The way memory works on the new systems is also different. Traditionally, memory controllers have been located outside the CPU. For improved performance, each core of the i7 processor now has an in-built memory controller. This allows communication of the CPU and the memory to operate at maximum efficiency.
When considering any computer system, the CPU, memory and graphics are the most important components for many gamers. For 3D games to run at optimal level, the system has to be equipped with adequate graphics processing power as well.
Anyone having that dual familiarity with prewar small towns and modern shopping malls will ... be repelled by the comparison. A preoccupation with physical facades coupled with a lack of sociological insight is common among the mall’s many fans.... Totally unlike Main Street, the shopping mall is populated by strangers. As people circulate about in the constant, monotonous flow of mall pedestrian traffic, their eyes do not cast about for familiar faces, for the chance of seeing one is small. That is not part of what one expects there. The reason is simple. The mall is centrally located to serve the multitudes from a number of outlying developments within its region. There is little acquaintance between these developments and not much more within them. Most of them lack focal points or core settings and, as a result, people are not widely known to one another, even in their own neighborhoods, and their neighborhood is only a minority portion of the mall’s clientele.
—Ray Oldenburg, U. S. sociologist, educator. “Main Street,” The Great Good Place, Paragon House (1989)
The first few generations of computer systems used the CPU to process graphics. After a few short years, the evolution of applications demanded more processing power. As a result, motherboard manufacturers started to offload all graphics processing activities to a dedicated piece of hardware - the graphics card. This allows graphics and video to be processed in a more specialized manner, thus greatly enhancing video capabilities.
With the surge of 3D and video applications, the demand for even more graphics processing power is increasing. To scale processing power, there are only two ways to go. The first option is to increase the speed values of the processor. For example, a 1.5 MHz CPU can be upgraded to a 2.0 MHz CPU. The second option is have more CPUs, sharing the workload. That is why we have dual core and quad core CPUs.
For the video card, the scaling process is similar. NVIDIA came up with a way to offer multi-GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) capabilities. They call this technology SLI. Unfortunately, not all motherboards offer SLI support automatically. Only higher-end models offer support for SLI.
The Toshiba Qosmio X305 notebook, aimed at gamers who require high-end graphics resources, comes with support for Triple-SLI. Triple-SLI means that there are three GPUs configured in the notebook. This is the first notebook that uses this configuration.
Once a happy old man
One can never change the core of things, and light burns you the harder for it.
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
With such powerful configurations, gamers no longer have to worry about not being able to bring their favorite 3D games along with them while they travel.
For more information on the Toshiba Qosmio X305 Triple-SLI Gaming Notebook and takeMS Triple-Channel DDR3 Memory Kit for Intel Core i7 Processors, please visit the Gadget Advisor blog.