Samsung RC512-S02

Samsung RC512-S02

The Samsung RC512-S02 ($1,199.99 list at Best Buy) desktop replacement laptop targets power user with its premium features and parts. It includes a Blu-ray drive, plenty of storage, and USB 3.0 ports. From a performance standpoint, there's nothing more powerful than a quad-core processor based on Intel's latest Sandy Bridge architecture. The RC512-S02 has that, 6GB of memory, and a nice 3D chip in the Nvidia GeForce GT 525M. Now if only it came with a bigger battery, I'd be overwhelmed with excitement. Laptops made of aluminum are all the rage these days, with the Dell XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) ($1,785 direct, 4 stars) and Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt) ($2,199 direct, 4 stars) leading the way. Though the RC512-S02 isn't completely made of aluminum, it is used generously on the lid, palm rest, and keyboard area. There's also a strip of black plastic that Samsung added to the lid as well. The metal portion is a darker tint of gray than that of the Asus N53SV-A1 Samsung RF510-S01US ($939.99 list, 3.5 stars) and Dell Inspiron 17R-2950MRB ($949.99 list, 4 stars). At 5.4 pounds, the RC512-S02 is as light as the MacBook Pro 15-inch (5.5 pounds) and a pound lighter than the Asus N53SV-A1 (6.4 pounds) and Dell XPS 15 (6.4 pounds).