Reviewing the Gateway NX570X (debuted in November this year) , CNET gives the notebook 7.8 out of 10 rating (very good) and writes,” The Gateway NX570X is a midsize workhorse, and its flexible configuration options let you put together a system that ranges from the truly budget base price of $899 (currently $699, thanks to a $200-off promotion) to our reasonably upscale $1,368 review unit ($1,168 with same the promotion). HP’s Compaq Presario V6000T is a similarly configurable jack-of-all-trades, and the differences largely come down to aesthetic considerations such as the Compaq’s look-at-me shiny finish versus the Gateway’s understated matte look. For what is essentially an entry-level system, the NX570X leaves a very positive impression.

Despite the wallet-friendly price, the NX570X looks and feels like a much more expensive system. A textured, scratch-resistant surface gives the lid a heavy-duty quality. Add to that the brushed-aluminum palm-rest inlay, and you have a low-cost laptop that you won’t be embarrassed to be seen with at a coffee shop or an airport.

Measuring 14 inches wide, 10.5 inches deep, and 1.5 inches high, the Gateway NX570X sits firmly in the mainstream category of laptops: small enough to tote around on occasion without too much hassle but big enough to be your main PC. The NX570X weighs 6.5 pounds (7.3 pounds with the AC adapter), which we feel is too heavy for a daily commute. Plus, we’ve seen similarly sized laptops that shave a pound or so off that, such as the Fujitsu LifeBook A3110.

Unfortunately, one of the few parts of the Gateway NX570X that is not configurable is its graphics subsystem. You’re stuck with the integrated Intel 945GM GPU, which is fine for casual gaming and some older games at lower resolutions, but won’t even run many of today’s high-end 3D games. But integrated graphics are fine for just about any nongaming task. On the bright side, according to Intel, the 945GM will support the Aero interface in Windows Vista.

The system ran for a very respectable 4 hours, 57 minutes on our MobileMark battery life test using the included six-cell battery. Midsize laptops often have the most impressive battery life, and the NX570X is no exception; larger desktop replacements are too power hungry, and smaller ultraportable systems use tiny batteries with limited life spans.

Compared to other similarly configured systems, the Gateway NX570X performed well on CNET Labs’ Multitasking test, falling slightly behind the HP Compaq nc8430, but outperforming the Lenovo ThinkPad T60 and the Fujitsu LifeBook T4215. These systems all share the same Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 CPU. It makes sense then that our iTunes encoding test, which relies almost entirely on a laptop’s CPU capabilities, produced virtually identical scores for these different T7200 systems. The NX570X is more than capable of handling any multimedia or productivity chore you throw at it.” - CNET.com

Gateway NX570X quick specs:

Windows XP Media Center Edition; 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel 945GM Express; 80GB Hitachi HTS721080G9SA00 7,200rpm SATA/150

Competitors from other manufacturers:

HP Compaq nc8430
Windows XP Professional SP2; 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; 256MB ATI Radeon Mobility X1600; 100GB Hitachi S721010G9SA00 7,200rpm SATA/150

Lenovo ThinkPad T60
Windows XP Professional SP2; 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB ATI Radeon Mobility X1400; 120GB Fujitsu MHV2120BH 5,400rpm SATA/150

Fujitsu LifeBook T4215
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP2; 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel 945GM Express; 100GB Fujitsu MHV2100BH 5,400rpm SATA/150

Fujitsu LifeBook N6420
Windows XP Media Center Edition; 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon x1600; 200GB Fujitsu MHV2200BT 4,200rpm SATA/150

Read More Reviews of Gateway NX570X

This entry was posted on December 24, 2006 and is filed under Gateway.