According to APCMag.com the General Manager of Toshiba Australia has described the Qosmio X300 as “the fastest ­computer [Toshiba] can build”. This may be true, but to be honest we are not going to take an Aussie’s word for it. 

In any event we won’t know until we get our hands on the model with Intel’s latest Core 2 Duo Extreme X9100 mobile processor and dual nVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS SLI graphics cards. For the time being we have to ­content ­ourselves with ­reviewing the model with an Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz ­processor and a GeForce 9700M GTS graphics card.

Make no mistake this ­machine is still a beast, even if it’s not quite as savage as its big brother. In the looks department both models are identical with a scintillating black and red design scheme complete with flame detail on the lid. This behemoth weighs 4.1kgs making it more ­desktop replacement ­notebook than ultra-portable gaming machine. The point, however, is that it is still far more mobile than your ­average rig.

The X300 does what it was designed to do, and more ­importantly it does it well. It has all the necessary power for running the latest 3D games smoothly and reliably. The 17-inch Super-TFT ­display and Harman Kardon loudspeaker sound system, four speakers in total with the addition of a subwoofer, ­further ­enhance your gaming ­experience. The machine’s 320GB hard drive, HDMI-out port, dual-layer DVD writer, and 5-in-1 media card reader also make it a great ­multi­media notebook. The only thing putting a damper on its multimedia features is the lack of a Blu-ray drive; ­although this is ­understandable considering Toshiba recently lost its HD video standards war against Sony.

At R19 999 (incl VAT) we can confidently say that the X300 is no toy. It is a serious bit of hardware that offers real performance for those who can appreciate as much. More than just that though, there is something else to it, a ghost in the machine kind of feeling that makes you want it in your family photos.

Call the Toshiba support center on 086-72-72-707 to locate your nearest retailer.