10 Premium Laptops from Boutique PC Vendors

By Don Reisinger

Although some companies in this slideshow truly push the envelope with laptop design, Puget’s M725i doesn’t go so far. The device features a basic black design that’s really nothing to write home about. But what it lacks in design, it makes up for in components. The device boasts an Intel Core i7 1.6GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, a 17-inch display, a 160GB hard drive and a 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTS 250M video card. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium. Not bad for a starting price of $1,969.

If you’re looking for power at a premium, Widow’s WGMI-2SG200 is where you’ll want to go. The PC boasts a nice piano black finish and blue accent lights to satisfy design-conscious users. The device boasts an 18.4-inch HD display, an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz dual-core processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and two 1GB Nvidia GTX 280M video cards running in SLI. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium. Unfortunately, Widow doesn’t let users customize PC design, so what you see is what you get. It’s a nice offering, but it’s a little expensive at $3,799.

Sager’s notebook computers attempt to be a more practical alternative for both consumers and enterprise users. Perhaps that’s why the Sager NP8760 is so practical. The notebook features a 17.3-inch full HD display, an Intel Core i7 1.73GHz processor, a 320GB hard drive and an ATI Radeon HD 5870 video card. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium. All the options can be customized, but the laptop’s price starts at $1,949.

Those looking for a simple design and powerful components will find it with the Velocity Micro NoteMagix M17 Ultra. The device features an all-black body with the Velocity Micro logo on the back. The laptop boasts dual Intel Core i5 2.4GHz processors, a 17-inch display and 2GB of RAM. The laptop also comes with a 160GB hard drive and a 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTS 250M video card. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium. Like many of the other devices in this roundup, it can be customized to suit your needs. Prices for this model start at $1,699.

Alienware might be owned by Dell, but it enjoys a long tradition as a leading boutique PC vendor. Perhaps that’s why its M17X laptop is so noteworthy. The device boasts three laptop designs, allowing users to choose their notebook’s dominant color. The laptop boasts a dual-core 2.4GHz Core i5 processor, a 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4870 video card and a 17-inch display by default. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium and includes 4GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive. All the options can be customized, but the Alienware M17X starts at $1,799.

The main issue with AVADirect is that users can easily get bogged down in all the available customizations. It’s much easier to find an AVADirect notebook that doesn’t need much customization. The DIY17A2 is one such device. It boasts a basic black design, and offers a dual-core Intel 2.53GHz processor, a 17-inch display, 2GB of memory and 500GB hard drive. Like the other devices in this slideshow, AVADirect’s laptop runs Windows 7 Home Premium. Pricing starts at $1,950.70.

If you’re looking for the best-designed laptop in this slideshow, the Falcon Northwest FragBook DRX is it. The device boasts several outstanding designs and even offers custom painting for those who want a unique design on their PC. The laptop comes with a 3.2GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 6GB of memory, a 17-inch display and a 160GB hard drive. It runs a 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M video card and Windows 7 Home Premium. There’s just one caveat to the FragBook DRX: It retails for $4,344.42 before customization.

Maingear only offers one laptop on its site, the MX-L 15. But starting at $999.95, it’s a nicely affordable PC. The laptop boasts the familiar Maingear black matte finish and comes with a 15.6-inch HD display. The computer runs the Intel Core i5 2.4GHz processor and the ATI Radeon 4570 video card. It boasts a 160GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM, and runs Windows 7 Home Premium.

The CyberPower Xplorer X7-Xtreme S1 is one of the more powerful laptops in this slideshow. The device boasts a 17-inch display on its nicely designed chassis. It comes with the Intel Core i7 2.8GHz processor, 6GB of memory, a 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX285M video card and three free video games. The laptop, which comes standard with a 320GB hard drive, runs Windows 7 Home Premium. It even has a built-in HDMI port for viewing HD content. Pricing starts at $2,389.

The iBuyPower Battalion 101 D900F offers a slick piano black finish and a 17-inch display. Although its pricing starts at $2,379, it includes a slew of powerful components, including an Intel Core i7 2.66GHz processor, 6GB of RAM, a 1GB Nvidia GTX 285 video card and a 320GB hard drive. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium. Any of the components built into the iBuyPower Battalion 101 D900F can be customized to suit your needs.