Although by no means a top performer, the Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 processor and 2GB of DDR2 Ram provide a stable base for this 17in notebook.

And with the Nvidia Geforce 8400M GS graphics card, it’s powerful enough for the demands of both the Aero Glass interface used by the supplied Vista Home Premium and for playing DVDs. But this graphics card isn’t exactly high end and gamers will find it leaves something to be desired, particularly for recent games with high levels of detail.

Our benchmarks highlighted this, with scores of 1,677 in 3Dmark06 and 2,911 in 3Dmark05. The poor graphics performance is a shame because otherwise there’s plenty to enjoy, including an HDMI output and a digital TV tuner, as well as a capacious 250GB hard disk. It features a super-multi DVD writer and a 802.11a/b/g adapter, but if you want the newer and faster Draft N wireless you’ll need an adapter. It also has a Bluetooth receiver and webcam built in. A five-speaker surround-sound system graces the case and provides impressive audio.

Screen quality is fair, and the glossy coating makes DVDs come alive. As ever, the downside of this type of screen coating is that reflections in brightly lit conditions can cause problems. The keyboard is a little on the small side, with the space bar cramped up against the chassis. This configuration means that users will find themselves frequently banging the sides of their thumbs.

Battery life is fair at two hours and there is a two-year collect-and-return warranty.

There’s no doubt the EX700 is powerful enough for most day-to-day tasks, but flaws such as the relatively poor graphics and cramped keyboard design are hard to overlook.