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Gigabyte G-Max N203 Laptop Review
Gigabyte G-Max N203 Laptop Review - PCSTATS
Features and portability are this 1.6GHz Centrino-based laptop's primary strengths, but it can also hold its own in the office computing.
 75% Rating:   
Filed under: Notebooks Published:  Author: 
External Mfg. Website: Gigabyte Mar 14 2005   M. Dowler  
Home > Reviews > Notebooks > Gigabyte GMAX N203

Unreal Tournament 2003, conclusions

Unreal Tournament 2003

Source: Epic

Unreal Tournament 2003 is the sequel to 1999's multiple 'Game of the Year' award winner. It uses the very latest Unreal Engine technology - where graphics, sound and game play are taken beyond the bleeding edge. Unreal Tournament 2003 employs the use of Vertex as well as Pixel Shaders and it's recommended that you use a DirectX 8 videocard to get the most out of the game.

UT2003
Flyby:
640x480 FPS Ranking
Gigabyte G-MAX N512 261.63
Sony VAIO VGN-T140P 30.32
Gigabyte G-MAX N203 29.69
1024x768 FPS Ranking
Gigabyte G-MAX N512 158.09
Sony VAIO VGN-T140P 15.16
Gigabyte G-MAX N203 19.31
Botmatch
640x480 FPS Ranking
Gigabyte G-MAX N512 81.18
Sony VAIO VGN-T140P 17.61
Gigabyte G-MAX N203 23.26
1024x768 FPS Ranking
Gigabyte G-MAX N512 80.09
Sony VAIO VGN-T140P 9.55
Gigabyte G-MAX N203 12.46

UT2003 was just barely playable at 640x480 on the Gigabyte G-Max N203 notebook. Did we mention that this machine is not intended for heavy gaming?

Final thoughts on this red and white notebook

The Gigabyte G-Max N203 notebook packs a bunch of ports and features into a small package, and that's a good thing. The only interface that could possibly have been added would have been a card reader. Overall, the G-Max N203 is a jack of all trades. It definitely has the processing power to handle serious office applications with its 1.6GHz Pentium M processor (though a memory upgrade from the default 256MB would be recommended) and it works well as an entertainment PC with its DVD drive and adequate battery life. Since the N203 is new to the North American market, check with your local dealers for pricing.

The only application for which it is not well suited is the role of a 3D gaming PC, since the integrated Intel Extreme 2 graphics are not up to anything but the least demanding gaming tasks. The 'Jazz Black' model seems slightly more appealing, mainly because of the extra 256MB of memory, which would definitely come in handy for more demanding tasks like Adobe Photoshop.

The G-Max N203 does boast a 'love it or hate it' kind of look, at least in the case of our Ruby Red review model. It has considerable visual appeal, especially if you like Apple's iBook line of laptops, but all the flash may turn some off. The high-end Jazz Black model appears to be considerably more conservative looking.

We wished the notebook was slightly lighter, as it is on the heavy side for a 12.6" screen notebook. The variety of ports and interfaces are a good tradeoff for this fact though.

Our only major concern revolved around the measly six month warranty on the battery (according to the web site). This is not something we have seen in the past, and we hope it does not become a trend. In our view, the battery should be expected to last as long as the laptop does, barring misuse. Overall, the Gigabyte G-Max N203 would be a worthy laptop for work in the office or on the road, as well as the occasional DVD movie. It's a portable workhorse that can handle many media types with ease.

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< Previous Page © 2023 PCSTATS.com Notebooks Reviews...»

 

Contents of Article: Gigabyte GMAX N203
 Pg 1.  Gigabyte G-Max N203 Laptop Review
 Pg 2.  Physical Dimensions and ports
 Pg 3.  First impressions and upgrading
 Pg 4.  Testing and benchmarks
 Pg 5.  Benchmarks: Winbench 99, BatteryMark, Sandra
 Pg 6.  Benchmarks: Super PI, PCMark 02, PCMark 04
 Pg 7.  Benchmarks: 3DMark 2001, 3DMark 03, Aquamark
 Pg 8.  — Unreal Tournament 2003, conclusions

 
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