Advantages and Disadvantages of Gateway NV7901u (Review)

Posted on | April 11, 2010 | No Comments

Gateway NV7901u

The 17.3-inch Gateway NV7901u, which boasts discrete ATI graphics and an Intel Core i5 processor, is no exception. While the NV’s same old design quirks—namely, a slightly uncomfortable keyboard and stiff touch button—still make it imperfect, this machine is a great deals for multimedia mavens (and even gamers) on a budget.

For better and worse, Gateway hasn’t messed with the NV series’ design, including its glossy, subtly patterned lid (our system was black); the wide, cylindrical hinge; the matte chassis; the flat, flush keys; nor the single, stiff touch button. While multimedia shortcuts are built into the function keys (a la the MacBook Pro), there’s a row of touch-sensitive buttons above the keyboard, from which you can adjust the volume, launch Gateway’s MyBackup software (more on that later), and enable or disable Wi-Fi and the trackpad. There’s also one programmable button, marked “P,” from which you can launch any application you like, such as a Web browser or Microsoft Word.

Although the NV7901u gets warm, it still doesn’t become quite as hot to the touch as other big screen notebooks. After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, we recorded temperatures of 91 degrees on the touchpad, 94 degrees at the center of the keyboard, and 94 degrees on the underside of the notebook. The typical desktop replacement reaches temperatures of 91 degrees, 94 degrees, and 95 degrees in these respective spots. However, the NV7901 did reach 105 degrees near the vent, which is hot.

Advantages:
• Strong overall performance
• Bright, vibrant display
• Long battery life
• Strong wireless range

Disadvantages:
•Stiff touch button
•Relatively slow hard drive
•Uncomfortable keyboard

Gateway NV7901u Specs:
CPU 2.26-GHz Intel Core i5-430M
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
The amount of memory our reviewed configuration comes with.
Learn More
RAM 4GB
The maximum amount of memory this notebook supports.
Learn More
RAM Upgradable to 8GB
Amount of data your storage drive can hold.
Learn More
Hard Drive Size 500GB
The rotation speed of a mechanical hard drive.
Learn More
Hard Drive Speed 5,400rpm
Your notebook’s storage drive (hard drive or solid state drive) holds your operating system, your programs, and your data.
Learn More
Hard Drive Type SATA Hard Drive
Your notebook display is the primary viewing device for your laptop computer.
Learn More
Display Size 17.3
The number of pxiels (wxh) displayed on your screen at once.
Learn More
Native Resolution 1600×900
An optical drive allows you to play or record to DVDs, CDs, or Blu-ray discs.
Learn More
Optical Drive DVD+/-RW/+R DL
The speed of the optical drive.
Learn More
Optical Drive Speed 8X
Graphics chips are responsible for processing all images sent to your computer’s display.
Learn More
Graphics Card ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650
The amount of memory available for graphics processing.
Learn More
Video Memory 512MB
Wi-Fi connects you to a router or hotspot for wireless Internet access.
Learn More
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth allows you to connect to wireless devices such as headsets, smart phones, and speakers.
Bluetooth Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Mobile broadband connects you to the Net from anywhere, even places with no hotspot.
Learn More
Mobile Broadband
Ports allow you to connect to external devices such as monitors, printers, MP3 players, and hard drivse.
Learn More
Ports (excluding USB) Ethernet; HDMI; Headphone; Microphone; Modem; VGA
USB ports allow you to connect many external devices, from MP3 players to external hard drives.
Learn More
USB Ports 4
Card readers allow you to plug memory and expansion cards directly into a notebook.
Learn More
Card Slots 5-1 card reader
Warranty/Support 16.2 x 11.0 x 1.0-1.4 inches
Size 7 pounds
Weight One-year parts-and-labor/24/7 toll-free phone