20. Summary: Quick Multimedia Notebook With Super Equipment But Weaknesses In The Details

With the slogan "The W511 brings you a high performing entertainment platform," Gigabyte is not promising too much. And the W511A really is a very powerful fully-equipped notebook, which wins hands down in a direct performance comparison with its competitors. Furthermore, at $1595 it offers features such as a glare resistant display, instant-on AV player functionality, optical audio output and an IR remote control, which aren't available from the competition at all, much less in this combination for this price.

The W511A's display is very good even when used for AV purposes. Unfortunately, the noise generated by the notebook's optical drive and ventilation system significantly distracts from the audio-visual experience. Using headphones or connecting the notebook to an AV system can help reduce the impact of this noise. The W511A has a short battery life, despite the use of current Intel Centrino Mobile Technology. We believe that those who buy a reasonably-priced 15.4" widescreen notebook weighing a little over 8 lb are less interested in long battery life than in owning a somewhat mobile desktop replacement. The W511A is well suited to this purpose. Gigabyte says that the W511A will be available in the USA soon.