The appeal of the M675XL is that it acts as a mobile desktop. Much of the hardware found inside this system rivals and even outperforms most desktop business machines.

The downside is that the M675XL costs more than the average notebook and will not attract the attention of business users seeking a light and portable system.

The Foundation

Gateway's M675XL features a 3.4 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading technology. The Pentium 4 uses 512 KB of L2 cache and runs with a frontside bus speed of 800 MHz.

For mobile workstations, it is rare to find a processor slower than a 3.0 GHz Pentium 4. Dual-CPUs are out of the question, leaving the single CPU the most viable option. At these speeds, however, users will not be disappointed. Downgrades are not available for this version. Thus, buyers are stuck with the speed unless they opt for another version of the M675.

While the processor selection is on par with a high-performance notebook, the hard drive does not sit well with the rest of the system. Gateway includes an 80 GB Ultra ATA 5,400 RPM hard drive in the base model.

Additionally, users receive a modular 60 GB 5,400 RPM hard drive that fits in the floppy drive bay. Although there is plenty of storage space, the speed of these disks is not adequate for a workstation-type laptop. Users can switch to a 60 GB 7,200 RPM main hard drive and subtract US$70 from the total system cost -- a recommended exchange.

Sticking with the high-end parts, Gateway included 1 GB of DDR SDRAM in the M675XL. The memory operates at a 400 MHz frontside bus speed and comes on two 512 MB modules. Should users want to push the envelope even further, Gateway offers an upgrade to 2 GB of DDR memory for an extra $580.

An interesting feature of this system that complements the processor and memory well is the chipset. Gateway selected the Intel 865PE chipset, which most often is used in desktops. The chipset maximizes dual-channel DDR memory, supports higher bus speeds and takes advantage of 8X AGP graphics cards. (continued...)

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