When Dell first came out with the Inspiron XPS last year, we were big fans of it. With customizable backs, a lot of horsepower, and solid performance, Dell finally had a gaming laptop that could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Alienware and Voodoo. Their latest is truly a gamers?f dream with Intel?fs fastest processor, the best mobile graphics yet, and a price north of four grand.

Right out of the box, our test Inspiron XPS definitely had its game face on: two white skulls against a black background. There's no question that this system will grab peoples attention. Dell gives you three such 'Quicksnap' cover designs from which to choose.

Powering the Inspiron XPS is an Intel Pentium 4 3.4-GHz Extreme Edition processor with Hyper-Threading technology. When you throw in a gig of dual-channel DDR SDRAM and ATI Radeon Mobility 9800 graphics with 256MB of onboard memory, you can bet you've got one blazing machine.

In our 3DMark03 benchmarks, the XPS scored 5448 at 1024 x 768, and 3152 at 1280 X 1024 with 2X?\truly incredible numbers. We then tested the XPS with 3DMark2001. We got a record-breaking 17533 3DMarks, which is 10 times as fast as a standard PC. Upgrading to the new 9800 graphics chip was definitely a wise move, and with its faster core and DDR2 memory, you?fll see a major difference in your game-playing experience. The 9800 incorporates 3Dc image enhancement technology, which maximizes performance and gives users superior image quality at higher resolutions. This is courtesy of eight pipelines in the GPU and higher clock speeds. The end result is a completely new gaming experience that rivals even some desktop systems.

True to form, the Inspiron XPS was able to play all of the latest and greatest titles without blinking an eye. Doom 3 ran beautifully at Ultra Quality (1024 X 768), and we were able to run Unreal Tournament 2004 at 1920 X 1200 with all of the detail settings set to the highest level. If you want to these games in all their glory, however, make sure the laptop is plugged in. Playing these graphic-intensive games on battery power alone drops the performance significantly.

There is something aesthetically pleasing about a widescreen display, and the Inspiron XPS has a beautiful one to brag about. Measuring 15.4 inches, the WUXGA display has a maximum resolution of 1920 X 1200. So, whether you?fre surfing the Web, composing a document, or playing a game, this display will not disappoint. Watching a letterboxed DVD is simply a joy with the XPS.

In addition to the nice display, the Inspiron XPS has a rather impressive speaker system. Housed right in front, these small speakers provide incredible clarity. Giving the speakers that added oomph is a powered subwoofer housed underneath the XPS itself. Without question, these are the best-sounding laptop speakers we?fve ever heard.

Which brings us to our only major complaint about the XPS: battery life. On a full charge, we were only able to get about 2 hours out of the battery. If you were to play a game or watch a DVD, you can shave another 30 to 45 minutes off the battery time. When you buy the XPS, be sure you get additional batteries.

At the back of the XPS are three main ports: S-Video, DVI, and serial. In addition, there are four USB 2.0 ports, as well as an Ethernet and modem inputs. On the left side you have a DVD-RW drive and a FireWire port, along with headphone and microphone jacks.

The Dell?fs keyboard is quite nice, with a layout large enough to allow folks with big hands to maneuver around quite easily. The XPS also has easy-to-access audio and volume controls (up top and on the right-hand side). Although it was cool to have a touchpad and mouse stick, it would have been nice if the buttons were laid out better (especially around the space bar).

Just when you thought Dell couldn't keep up the competition, they go ahead and release another machine that surpasses the field. Bottom line: We were completely blown away by this latest Inspiron XPS and its high-performance chipset, fantastic screen, and incredible 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9800 graphics card. If you're looking for the ultimate in mobile gaming and are willing to invest some serious cash, the Inspiron XPS has your name all over it.

View the quick specs for this product Dell Inspiron XPS >>