also @ TechSpot: Diablo III coming in Q2, WoW and StarCraft II expansions discussed

Acer developing new flagship notebook with DirectX 11 graphics

By

December 3, 2009, 3:00 PM EST

Acer is reportedly developing a new flagship notebook that will incorporate various high-end technologies, and might very well be the first portable PC to market with a DirectX 11-capable graphics chip. The Aspire 8942 will boast an 18.4" 1080p LED display, a 1.6GHz Core i7-720QM, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, an AMD Mobility Radeon HD5850 with 1GB of GDDR5 VRAM, dual 640GB HDDs, and a Blu-ray drive.

As one would expect of a beastly media PC, connectivity options are aplenty. The Aspire 8942 will house four USB 2.0 ports, 802.11a-n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ExpressCard, HDMI, a five-in-one card reader and more. An eight-cell battery will power the system, which weighs about 4.6kg (over 10lbs) -- or about as much as two average 15" notebooks, as noted by Fudzilla.

There are no details on a price or availability, but it seems likely that the Aspire 8942 will start shipping in January or shortly after.

No tags on this story

User Comments (35)

Post a comment
moltar
on December 3, 2009
3:21 PM
holy aspires Batman, that's a big "notebook." Are you even allowed to call them notebooks when they weigh over 10lbs? Sounds like a pretty hefty pc, but man, i never want to be the guy hauling that thing around.

Reply | Quote

Space_Cowboy
on December 3, 2009
3:47 PM
I can't understand why they keep using the slower i7 processors. You would think they would move up to the 950 or even the 850 at best.

Reply | Quote

dellz
on December 3, 2009
3:54 PM
thats not a notebook thats a monster in a big portable case , which needs a high voltage eletricity generator with it :P

Reply | Quote

pomonasi
on December 3, 2009
3:55 PM
notebook? this thing is a portable desktop. heck, the specs on this thing blows my desktop out of the water. would love to have one but im sure the price will be too much for my taste.

Reply | Quote

Basher
on December 3, 2009
3:58 PM
I think I could handle this. I've been carrying around my Dell Inspiron E1705 five or more times a week between school and wherever else I go. This thing weighs a little under 8.5 pounds, what's another 1.5lbs? On a side note, I decided to weigh my cat also, he's just about 20 pounds

Reply | Quote

jgvmx
on December 3, 2009
4:04 PM
18.4"? 4.6kg? That's not a notebook, it's a desktop on wheels!

The price should be as off-the-roof as its specs.

Reply | Quote

slh28
on December 3, 2009
4:13 PM
Looks like Acer are really trying to take over the portable computer market, they've got a very large range from netbooks to desktop replacement notebooks.

Reply | Quote

Chazz
on December 3, 2009
4:26 PM
That thing is absolutely insane. It'd crush my desktop.

Reply | Quote

UglyChild
on December 3, 2009
4:39 PM
Is it me, or many companies now days are jumping on the "Modern War" games bandwagon one after another?

Reply | Quote

vangrat
on December 3, 2009
4:41 PM
I can think of several instances where a machine like that would have come in handy in the past for me
A. Shield to block bullets with
B. Nice table stand
C. Friggin awsome desktop replacement for people in war zones or hard to reach places where a desktop just wouldnt do.

Reply | Quote

boogityboo04
on December 3, 2009
4:49 PM
Ha, my latest gaming PC just barely measures up to that thing.

Reply | Quote

lfg18
on December 3, 2009
5:59 PM
Haha you got to be kidding me 10lbs? That the heaviest laptop I have heard of, I would never thought of traveling with that thing, haha, well I must say that the specs are really impressive, a movility 5850? that's for serious gaming, this would be much better with a SSD.

I don't think i would buy this laptop anyway, i had had bad experiences with Acer, i don't know if they are reliable, anyone can share experiences with this brand?

Reply | Quote

manintech
on December 3, 2009
6:54 PM
what's the point of making such a big and high performance notebook? there are almost no advantage compared to a desktop

Reply | Quote

muljator
on December 3, 2009
7:23 PM
the point is to show it off when you go out, so you can attract girls

Reply | Quote

BlackIrish
on December 3, 2009
7:55 PM
Eh, just get a desktop and save yourself a lot of money & trouble.

Reply | Quote

ken777
on December 3, 2009
8:46 PM
This is going to have like 30 minutes of battery life. Why spend so much extra money on a portable form factor when it's going to be tethered to your desk all the time? You can probably spend half or less and build a much faster and upgradable desktop gaming system.

Reply | Quote

xclusiveitalian
on December 3, 2009
10:03 PM
Everything else is nice but why a 1.6GHz Core i7-720QM, they must want to get rid of that over stock of old i7 chips. Oh and 10 lbs is way to heavy for a notebook unless your a body builder or it's going to remain stationary. You'll be suprised the big difference having to lug around a notebook thats 5lbs and one thats 10. Im assuming its going to be thicker than most newer notebooks aswell?

Reply | Quote

kg363
on December 3, 2009
10:51 PM
That is an amazing laptop. The price must be astronomical

Reply | Quote

Decimae
on December 4, 2009
12:11 AM
This indeed seems like a portable desktop instead of a laptop. My desktop doesn't match it. And the price will be enourmous. So I'm not going to be able to afford it, though when I will, I'd rather buy a new desktop, because it's cheaper or faster.

Reply | Quote

Puiu
on December 4, 2009
12:44 AM
I already consider my 3kg laptop (also from acer) heavy and they want me to carry a 4.6 kg one? I will most likely avoid laptops that are heavier than 3kg. It's no longer portable at that weight.

Reply | Quote

gwailo247
on December 4, 2009
1:23 AM
Its not a laptop. Its a desktop with an integrated monitor.

Reply | Quote

Nirkon
on December 4, 2009
1:30 AM
I think this opens up a new segment in the market, it should be named "Portable PCs"... those who weigh over 4KG!
It's like taking a couple of bricks with you wherever you go.. sheesh!

Reply | Quote

Richy2k9
on December 4, 2009
2:58 AM
hello ...

i'm big enough to carry this thing around ... price please? thank you ...

do you think this will be better for me instead of a desktop gaming monster, i do need to have a minimum mobility though, yet not really that important.

i'm planning to buy some new IPs & a few old like Crysis pack!

thank you in advance for the replies ...

cheers!

Reply | Quote

Hyperian
on December 4, 2009
3:06 AM
Sounds like a very expensive desktop replacement to me, probably around 3000 bucks

Reply | Quote

PNagy
on December 4, 2009
4:23 AM
What about heat? I've tried a much more powerless gaming laptop but the heat and the noise were disturbing.

Reply | Quote

Browse more commented news

Post a new comment

Follow TechSpot

Feeds & More Newsletter