Dell today updated its gaming notebook line with the new XPS m1730, which will replace the older M1710 gaming notebook. The new notebook is the first to get a mobile PhysX processor from Ageia, which takes the load of physics processing off the CPU in a handful of supported games including Unreal Tournament 3, Warmonger and the soon to be released Crysis.

Starting at $3,000, the m1730 packs a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, dual Nvidia SLI graphics processors, 2GB shared dual channel DDR2 RAM, a massive 17-inch LCD panel with 1920x1200 resolution and 7ms response time, and a 200GB 7200 rpm hard drive. Models scale up to $4,486 adding a 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme, Vista Ultimate, and a model-first RAID option that stripes two 200GB disks for a faster, 400GB partition.

Other notable features include Logitech’s GamePanel LCD, which first appeared on the company’s G15 keyboard and lets gamers keep track on system performance, view game stats, and create macros. Overall, this 11-pound notebook is an impressive (and expensive) piece of hardware and should be available starting today with color choices of crimson red, sapphire blue, bone white and smoke grey.