If you're a gamer on a budget, you want a system that will last at least two years, and that means opting for the most advanced features--instead of the fancy paint job--to future-proof your purchase. In other words, you need DirectX 10 graphics.
 
With that in mind, we tested two DX 10 gaming rigs optimized for performance--and your wallet. Asus' consistently respectable gaming line gets a boost with its G2S-A1 running Nvidia's 8600M GT processor. It also sports an amazingly clear 17-inch display. Meanwhile, Toshiba's Satellite X205 is among the first gaming notebooks to feature the DX 10-compatible Nvidia 8700M GT graphics card. It also packs a 320GB of storage, an HD DVD drive, and an external HDTV tuner.
 
Both machines are priced at the low end for gaming notebooks. Toshiba's X205 retails for $2,399; you can get the G2S-A1 for a more reasonable $2,099. And the best part about both? You'll still have money left over for BioShock, Crysis, and Unreal Tournament III--all of which will put your new DX 10 power to good use.

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