The Bottom Line
CyberPower PC's Xplorer X5-2900 is a bit pricy for a budget laptop, even with its base configuration. In fact, to really get it priced similar to other budget laptops one needs to get rebates. If you can though, you will find a system that has a much broader set of features than anything you might find from the likes of the major PC manufacturers.
Pros
* Dedicated Graphics Processor
* Wide Range of Peripheral Connectors
* Bluetooth
Cons
* More Expensive For Budget System
* No Software Package
* Lacks FireWire Port
Description
* Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 Dual Core Mobile Processor
* 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
* 160GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
* 15.4" WXGA (1280x800) Wide LCD with 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
* ATI Radeon HD 3470 Graphics with 256MB Memory
* v.92 56Kbps Modem, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g Wireless, Bluetooth 2.0
* Three USB 2.0, eSATA, HDMI, ExpressCard/54, Fingerprint Scanner, 5-in-1 Card Reader
* 14.4" x 10.4" x 1.4" @ 6.8 lbs.
* Vista Home Premium
Guide Review - CyberPower PC Xplorer X5-2900 15.4-inch Budget Laptop PC
First off, the CyberPower PC Xplorer X5-2900 is fairly expensive for a budget laptop. I tried to look at systems that are $750 and under. It is possible to get it close to this, but you really need to purchase it with a rebate to drop it below the threshold. If such a deal is available, then the Xplores X5-2900 has a fair amount to offer.
The biggest feature of the Xplorer X5-2900 is the graphics. Most low cost laptops use an integrated graphics solution that leaves much to be desired. They don't really have the performance for 3D graphics required by todays games or acceleration for high definition video streams. CyberPower has managed to make an affordable system with a dedicate ATI Radeon HD 3470 graphics processor with 256MB of memory. While this isn't going to be something to play something like Crysis in high detail and resolution, but it definitely is possible to play games that aren't possible with integrated options.
Another great aspect of the Xplorer X5-2900 is the number of peripheral expansion options that are available for it. For example, it uses one of the three USB 2.0 ports as a combination with eSATA. This means that a user can plug into an external SATA drive instead of a USB device and high high performance storage. It also includes an HDMI connector in addition to a VGA port for connecting into new digital displays or HDTV's. Having said that, CyberPower PC decided that they would not include a FireWire port that makes it more difficult to port digital video from a camcorder to the laptop.
One other thing that users won't get with the Xplorer X5-2900 is software. This can add extra cost to an already higher priced system if you require specific applications that come with other budget laptops.