Toshiba Qosmio F50-10Z review

The rest of the components are decent parts that, most of the time, cater for the Qosmio's entertainment remit. The Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT mobile graphics chip managed a respectable 47fps in our low-detail Crysis benchmark, so modern games will be playable if settings are turned down slightly - although the M1730 may be a better bet if gaming is high on your agenda.

Audio isn't neglected, either, with the harman/kardon speakers providing superb quality. Films sounded suitably explosive, with distinct bass complementing the rich mid-range tones to provide a more rounded experience compared to the average laptop, although they're quieter than we expected, too.

The usual 802.11abg WLAN is complemented by draft-n and Bluetooth, and a DVB-T TV tuner is a sensible, media-friendly addition - although it's only a single tuner, so watching and recording on different channels at the same time isn't possible.

The combination of powerful CPU and GPU (and who knows what the Quad Core HD consumes) does mean that battery life suffers. Our heavy use test drained the 4,000mAh unit in just under an hour and twenty minutes, with this lifespan extended to almost two and a half hours in our light use benchmark - more in line with 17in desktop replacements than 15.4in notebooks.

The Quad Core HD seems a little superfluous in this particular laptop - surely larger models with higher resolution screens will benefit more - but the rest of the package ticks plenty of entertainment boxes - there's a TV tuner, fantastic speakers and a sharp, accurate screen. Factor in the competent CPU and GPU, too, and it's clear that this is a laptop that's worth putting on your shortlist.

Author: Mike Jennings