HDX18t Video Performance

The HDX18t uses the 9600m gt w/ DDR2

Gaming:

I installed WoW (WoW, TBC, WotlK), and gave it a whirl since I had it readily available. The newest xpac does tax the GPU
much more than the original and TBC. With everything to max, I was only able to hit 2-40 (yes, 2) fps everywhere I went in the Howling
Fjord; in the original content, it was 20-60 fps. The WoW engine is 4+ yrs old, so having to crank down the special effects to
near bottom low @ 1920x1080 to sustain smooth framerates was a bit disheartening. The 7811fx with its single 9800gts ran 1920x1200
with everything to max and hit 50-60 fps just about everywhere in game.

Benchmarks:

I replaced the stock HP memory with a pair (2x2) of G.Skill 5-5-5-15 DDR2 PC-6400 memory for testing.

I decided to test the factory Vista x64 install with 3Dmark06 vs Stock install w/ the newest Nvidia (180) drivers.

Stock Install Drivers = 4244 (SM20 = 1650, SM30 = 1448, CPU = 3714)
Newest 180.xx Drivers = 4164 (SM20 = 1633, SM30 = 1403, CPU = 3634)

I did a clean install of Vista x64. Using an OEM disc and the provided drivers on HPs website, the install went smoothly.

I then re-ran 3DMark06:

Fresh Install Drivers = 4252 (SM20 = 1631, SM30 = 1409, CPU = 3640)
Newest 180.xx Drivers = 4164 (SM20 = 1651, SM30 = 1446, CPU = 3830)

The 9600m gt is a "decent" mid-line graphics solution, but compared to my previous 7811fx which was equipped with a 9800gts:

7811fx/P8400 = (SM20 = 3987, SM30 = 3794, CPU = 2053)
7811dx/x9100 = (SM20 = 4267, SM30 = 3911, CPU = 2742)

Look at those SM2/3 scores versus the HDX18t, yowza.

The Quad Core in the HDX18t gives it a barely adequate score, but clearly the 9600m gt isn't going to produce any major ooohhhs and ahhhs.
The 9800gts whups it soundly by providing almost 2.5x the performance. For light gaming or if you don't need max resolution and
eye candy galore (Translation = prepare to crank everything down), it is a somewhat passable chip, but if you are heavily into gaming and/or your primary/only platform is your laptop, you definitely want something else.

Temperatures:

The GPU under stress test maintained a very nice 65c. Extended testing/gaming will heat up the lower left corner of the palm rest, but
nothing extreme.

For some reason the Quad-Core Extremes are running uber toasty in the HDX18t's. No crashes, lock ups or throttles that I can tell with a burn in, but the temps are really extreme (ba bump bump).