Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690 Reviews

Jun.17, 2008 in Toshiba

Toshiba’s Qosmio line is known for high-end home-theater features (and high prices), and the massive Qosmio G45 is one of our favorite desktop replacements for movie and media consumption. The latest edition, the G45-AV690, tweaks the previous model, the G45-AV680, by adding Intel’s new Penryn processors and a third GB of RAM, but it already looks dated thanks to its mandatory HD DVD drive (our review unit was built shortly before Toshiba pulled the plug on HD DVD, but the writing was clearly already on the wall).

Technical Details
* Portable multimedia powerhouse with 17-inch screen, four Harmon Kardon stereo speakers with subwoofer, TV tuner, HD DVD-RW burner
* 2.50 GHz “Penryn” Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 processor, dual 160 GB hard drives (320 GB total storage), 3 GB RAM (4 GB max)
* Quad-mode Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, Nvidia GeForce 8600M video card with 512 MB of discrete memory
* Connectivity: 5 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 S-Video, ExpressCard 54/34, 5-in-1 memory card reader, headphone jack with SPDIF audio output
* Pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Ultimate (with Premium and Business capabilities)

Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690 Reviews From digitaltrends

Highs:
Amazing sound system, beautiful high-res display, powerful

Lows:
Add-on digital cable requires tech visit, HD-DVD burner; bloatware

Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690 Reviews From computershopper

Pros
Full 1080p HD screen; HD DVD burner; impressive sound system; very good performance; digital cable-TV tuner

Cons
TV tuner requires CableCard and a service call from your cable company to set up; expensive; merely adequate for 3D gaming

Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690 Reviews From cnet

The good:
Penryn update puts latest Intel CPU in flagship laptop; 17-inch display does 1080p; large volume jogwheel and other media controls are easier and more enjoyable to use; includes external TV tuner and remote

The bad:
Saddled with HD DVD drive; not configurable

The bottom line:
Toshiba’s high-end Qosmio G45-AV690 is great for movies and multimedia, and its onboard controls are fun to use–but the recordable HD DVD drive means you’re paying extra for a dead technology.