IMAGINE a powerful sports car finetuned further so that it will growl even louder and go faster. Well, that is how the souped-up Dell XPS M1730 gaming notebook is best described.

The base model M1730 is already powerful with its Intel Centrino Core Duo Extreme 2.2GHz processor and 2GB DDR2 SDRAM. But the good people at Dell made special efforts to max the M1730 with a 2.8GHz processor and 4GB DDR2 SDRAM.

From the Bios settings menu, you can also overclock the processor to 3.4GHz, rendering this machine a speed demon.

Now, complement this combination with an NVidia GeForce 8700M GT graphics with 256MB video memory and a 380GB hard disk. Also, factor in a widescreen 17-inch LCD display (1,920 x 1,200 resolution).

The result is a supercharged gaming machine capable of posting a high 8,323 points on the 3DMark 06 benchtest.

For audio, the test machine came with a 5.1 channel output for surround sound pleasure. There are two speakers with two 18mm transducers per speaker enclosure providing 10-watt output power. All these boil down to a notebook with louder volume and deeper bass.

Other than gaming, the M1730 also makes for a decent multimedia machine. It has a built-in DVD with Blu-Ray optical drive so you can enjoy high-definition DVD Blu-ray movies.

Given this feature, I was expecting to find a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), so I could channel HD audio or video from the notebook to a large plasma screen TV and a better home entertainment system. But there was none.

Dell's suggestion was to channel HD images through the built-in DV-I using a HDMI adapter. But this is not as good as you need another cable for audio.

Apart from the hefty price tag, this notebook is big and bulky - it weighs in at 5kg and measures about the size of an Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Also, the high-end hardware takes a toll on the battery life. With the Lord of the Rings Return of the King on DVD on, the notebook died after just over 60 minutes.

FINAL SAY: If you like your machine loud, then get this mobile gaming stud.

From $3,799. Souped-up test machine: $7,799
Get it online at www.dell.com.sg

Adli Yashir, a correspondent/Internet coordinator with Berita Harian.