Cyberpower Xplorer X5-3400

Budget machine offers impressive performance


AT $999.99, the Cyberpower Xplorer X5-3400 is on the low end of new Intel Centrino 2 notebooks. Its lackluster 3D capabilities are typical of its price range, but its impressive performance and battery life suggest that even budget laptops can get a boost from the chipmaker's new platform.
The Xplorer X5-3400's design approach is understated, with the case wrapped in cool, gray-blue plastic from the top cover to the palm rest and touch pad. It's virtually smudge-proof-something that can't be said of some of the shinier machines we've looked at this year. Thankfully, Cyberpower's commitment to plainness did not extend to its LCD, a bright, gorgeous 15.4-inch wide-screen display that runs at a native resolution of 1,280x800.
For a budget laptop, the 65-pound Xplorer X5-3400 comes with an impressive set of connectivity options, including two USB 2.0 ports, an ExpressCard slot, external serial SATA (eSTA) and VGa jacks, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and an HDMI output. It also includes a Webcam and a fingerprint reader. It lacks any multimedia controls, however.


In terms of performance, the notebook's 2GB of RAM and its new 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 processor workded wonderfully, though its HD 3470 graphics chip is ill-equipped to deal with the graphical flourishes of most new games. For a midsize system, the Xplorer X5-3400's battery life is very impressive-the six-cell battery lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes in our DVD rundown test. - Serguei Servianov
source: Computer Shopper October 2008.