The Alienware m9750 is without a doubt one of the most powerful and feature packed notebooks we've laid our hands on, but it comes at a hefty price. Unless you're bent on portability you'd be much better off buying a desktop system for half the price and with considerably more power. That said, if you've got your mind set on a notebook, you need the power and have the cash, then you'll enjoy the broad functionality and classic Alienware style of this machine.

The U3 offers HDMI and eSATA ports, integrated HSDPA and GPS and features a dual graphics setup. Whether or not you are willing to sacrifice an internal optical drive for these features will determine if this stylish ultraportable is for you.

The Y510-300 is a fairy decent all-purpose notebook suitable for those with a strong budget and an eye for design. With good connectivity and strong hardware performance, just make sure you use the D drive after purchase.

Admittedly there's little to this Pavilion that we haven't seen from the range before, but as the saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it. The Blu-ray player is clearly a great bonus, as is the HDMI output. If you're after a notebook to handle your entertainment, this is a good option.

It's not pretty, it's not powerful, but it will take a beating. If you work in a dusty or damp environment, or in an area where knocks and bumps are common place, then a notebook of this calibre is clearly a good option.

A desktop replacement notebook with good speed and some versatile connectivity features that's also comfortable to use.

The NEC Versa P8310-2402DR is an appealing choice for users who want an attractive and well-performing notebook. While it suffers from usability issues, such as a slightly cramped keyboard and a screen that can be excessively reflective, the benefits largely outweigh the negatives.

A powerful desktop replacement notebook, which doubles as a media centre with a Blu-ray player. It needs some refinement, but as it stands, it's a functional unit for productivity applications and entertainment endeavours.

If you already own a MacBook Pro, there is little reason to upgrade. For the rest of us, Apple's power notebook is a fine machine on the whole.

Despite returning slower results on our benchmarks than we'd like from a desktop replacement, the low cost and large screen make this unit very good value.

Once you get over the fact that you could buy several PCs at this price, the Alienware Area-51 m15x-R1 is an extremely capable desktop replacement for the keen gamer.

The Toshiba Satellite A300 provides excellent processing power and a sleek design for a price that won't break the budget.