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For more general performance testing the Qosmio-10E was put through our usual set of benchmarks, including PC Mark 05 and our in-house Photoshop Elements and Virtual Dub tests. In addition to this gaming benchmarks were run at 1,280 x 800, 1,680 x 1,050 and 1,920 x 1,200 and, though the Qomsio is not likely to be left unplugged too often, some subjective battery tests were also performed.

In the 2D tests the Qosmio performed as expected: very well. An overall PC Mark score of over 5,000 is an excellent return, while in our in-house tests it compared well to the similarly specified Acer Aspire 5920, while proving considerably quicker in the Virtual Dub video encoding test.

Gaming, however, was something of mixed bag, and it's pretty clear that you can rule out gaming at native resolution in the majority of titles. Even older games such as Quake 4 and Prey proved a problem at native resolutions with any kind of anti-aliasing or filtering and, given that these aren't new games, it's safe to assume things aren't going to get any better. Ultimately, if you do want to use the Qosmio for any kind of gaming, you'll have to go down to resolutions between 1,280 x 800 and 1,680 x 1050 and tweak the settings to get playable frame rates.

For battery testing the Qosmio was tested under light usage, and also during DVD playback. In light usage, with the screen at maximum brightness, the Qosmio managed exactly two hours, though turning down display brightness would naturally increase battery life. During DVD playback, again with maximum brightness, the Qosmio showed exactly how power hungry it is, managing a mere one hour and 13 minutes - not even enough to finish the film. Given this result it seemed pointless to run an HD DVD test, you certainly won't be playing any of those without some mains power.

However this was all to be expected; a notebook with such power hungry components and a high resolution display was never going to impress with its battery life. Where the Qosmio does impress, however, is in its all-round qualities. Fine, it's expensive, but for nigh on £1,700 you get a genuinely HD capable multimedia notebook with a superb display and an HD DVD drive to match it. The addition of HD DVD writing makes it all the more appealing, while superb sound reproduction and connectivity mean the Qosmio, in either flavour, gives you all the multimedia functionality you're ever likely to need.

Verdict

If you have the money and want a multimedia notebook then the Qosmio G40-10E has you covered. An HD DVD-R drive and a superb display combine to great effect and, despite a few design foibles, a combination of size and design give it a distinct visual impact.

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