The Bottom Line
As a laptop itself, the Velocity Micro NoteMagix M17 Ultra isn't all that bad. It has some solid build quality and a wide range of customization options. The problem is that the laptop just ends up being slower than similarly priced systems or much more expensive to similarly equipped systems. Consumers can easily find other systems with a better balance of price and features.
Pros
* Good Build Quality
* Highly Customizable
Cons
* Expensive For Components
* Uses DDR2 Unstead Of Faster DDR3
* Relatively Low Specs For Base System
Description
* Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 Dual Core Mobile Processor
* 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 Memory
* 160GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
* 17" WSXGA+ (1680x1050) Wide LCD With 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
* NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT Graphics With 512MB Memory
* v.92 56Kbps Modem, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless and Bluetooth 2.0
* Four USB 2.0, FireWire, eSATA, HDMI, ExpressCard/54, 4-in-1 Card Reader
* 15.4" x 10.6" x 1.7" @ 7.5 lbs
* Vista Home Premium 32-bit
Guide Review - Velocity Micro NoteMagix M17 Ultra 17-inch Desktop Replacement Laptop PC
Velocity Micro has been making some solid laptop computers in the past couples years. Maybe this is why their prices just don't seem to be quite with the rest of the industry. After all, the base setup of their NoteMagix M17 Ultra desktop replacement just doesn't seem to be right.
Performance is a bit hampered by their base component selections. The processor choice is an Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 model. This just doesn't have quiet the same level of performance as the higher 8000 and 9000 series processors that are standard on the competition. Users can of course upgrade to them but it also brings the already high price even higher. The performance is also held back by the use of older DDR2 memory compared to the faster DDR3 used by many of the companies. The 2GB base should also really be upgraded to 4GB that has become the industry standard.
While most desktop replacement systems come standard with 320GB hard drives, the NoteMagix M17 Ultra ships with a basic 160GB hard drive. This gives it effectively half of the storage space of their competition. While many parts can be upgraded, their is only the base dual layer DVD burner standard for an optical drive. It would be nice to see an option for Blu-ray.
Graphics are probably one of the better aspects of the NoteMagix M17 Ultra. The 17-inch LCD panel comes with a respectable 1680x1050 resolution. This is paired up with the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT to provide it with a good level of performance and the ability to actually drive 3D graphics up to the panel's resolution.
I'm sure that the NoteMagix M17 Ultra was probably much more competitive when it was first released, but Velocity Micro either needs to beef up the components in their base configuration or they need to drop their prices.