ProStar PR5724J Review by LAPTOP Magazine

The ProStar PR5724J is a nicely equipped desktop replacement that features a gorgeous 17-inch widescreen display, speed courtesy of Intel's 2.3-GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and plenty of Nvidia graphics muscle. Throw in a TV tuner and you have a Vista-ready beast, albeit one with a steep $3,199 price tag.

The PR5724J sports an inoffensive silver, black, and gray case, but the orange and green LCD that sits between the multimedia controls makes the notebook's base look a bit dated. At 15.6 x 11.5 x 1.8 inches, the system offers a sturdy, full-sized keyboard and three quick-launch buttons that give one-touch access to Outlook, Internet Explorer, and Windows Media Player. Flanking the left and right sides are decent-sounding speakers. We're not fans of the touchpad buttons, which were clunky to use and seemed to get in the way.

Gamers and movie lovers will appreciate the massive screen real estate offered by the colorful 17-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel widescreen display that enables more onscreen information. Above it resides a 1.3-megapixel camera that shoots murky photos. When we went to press, there wasn't an option for a high-definition optical drive, but ProStar has confirmed that an optional Blu-ray drive will be available in March. At least you can watch and record TV using the internal mini-PCI TV tuner card.

Under the hood is where the PR5724J truly delivers. The notebook aced our 3DMark03 tests with an outstanding score of 20,029, meaning that this rig is ready for some hardcore gaming. On our F.E.A.R. test, the PR5724J ran at a blistering 120 fps on the autodetect setting and at 82 fps with the resolution maxed.

Wi-Fi performance was a bit disappointing, with average wireless scores of 9.6 Mbps from 15 feet and 9.1 Mbps from 50 feet. During our battery rundown tests, the notebook lasted an expectedly short 1 hour and 30 minutes with Wi-Fi off.

As long as you can live with Monday-to-Friday tech support, the ProStar PR5724J delivers killer gaming performance and enough horsepower for an awesome Vista experience.

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ProStar PR5724J

This pricey powerhouse delivers impressive graphics and lots of multimedia fun.

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