AVADirect’s W880CU
AVADirect (and its supplier Clevo) clearly believes that you really need a true high-def display to showcase the true potential of Nvidia’s latest mobile GPU. Of course, it's entirely possible that Clevo simply determined that a larger notebook would be required to hold the beefier cooling apparatus. Either way, today’s high-end portable gaming phenomenon comes with an enormous 17.3” screen.
Premium pricing for large-screen gaming notebooks means mobile enthusiasts expect more premium-class functionality. Thus, Clevo connects a single USB 3.0 port to Intel's chipset via a third-party controller. Also seen on this side are the audio jacks (headphone, microphone, line-in, and digital out), an ExpressCard 54 slot, an eSATA 3Gb/s port, and a dual-link DVI connection.
That’s right, Clevo’s new GeForce GTX 480M graphics module supports dual-link DVI, a feature missing from its GeForce GTX 280M and GeForce GTX 285M modules. High-end users can connect an equally high-end 2560x1600 flat panel without dropping to 1280x800 pixels, a capability previously reserved for AMD’s latest parts.
There’s also an HDCP-compliant HDMI port right next to the power jack, two USB 2.0 ports, and a network jack on the rear panel. While four of the connectors are perfectly placed for connecting to a presentations stand, frequent use of the power connector means that the door that covers it might not last very long.
A left-to-right description of the left-side end panel begins with the classic 6P2C telephony jack, followed by a mini-coaxial connector for an optional TV tuner (not included in this sample), a rubber-covered 7-in-1 flash memory card interface, an IEEE-1394 FireWire mini-jack, USB 2.0 port, and the optional (included) Blu-ray disk burner.
