OCZ outs first 15" Centrino 2 DIY gaming notebook
updated 04:55 pm EDT, Fri October 31, 2008
OCZ intros 15" DIY laptops
OCZ on Thursday announced the introduction of its first 15-inch Gaming Notebook based on an Intel Centrino 2 platform. As with the company's previous DIY (Do It Yourself) products, the idea is to let users spec their own systems for their own applications. All of the new 15.4-inch, 1280x800 notebooks include an ATI Radeon HD 3650 GPU with 512MB of dedicated memory and DirectX 10.1 compatibility. There is also a choice of optical drives, ranging between a dual-layer DVD drive or a slower multi-drive that includes Blu-ray support. CPU support includes Intel's range of Core 2 Duo and Extreme processors, ranging from 2.0 GHz to 2.6GHz.
User-definable options include up to 8GB of RAM, along with a choice of hard drives ranging from 80GB to 500GB capacities and 5400RPM or 7200RPM speeds, as well as OCZ's full line-up of solid state drives. A built-in 4-in-1 card reader is another option.
Standard fare includes high definition sound via built-in speakers, an Express Card slot, three USB ports, as well as an HMDI port in addition to a standard VGA output. A choice of Wi-Fi modules from Realtek or Intel is given to buyers, with Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR integrated along with a 2-megapixel webcam. For security, there is a fingerprint reader below the keypad. Windows Vista SP1 in either 32- or 64-bit configurations is supported.
As the graphic and name suggest, buyers will need to be somewhat mechanically skilled, as the ordered components ship separately and need to be installed into the 15.4-inch chassis by the user.
OCZ has not announced specific release dates or a starting price for the range of 15.4-inch DIY notebooks.
