Call it star alignment. Call it great timing. When Intel launched its mobile Extreme processor to coincide with nVidia's introduction of its mobile SLI GeForce 8700M GT graphics chipset, the stage was set for Dell to bring forth something sublime and mind-blowing. If there was ever a gaming laptop that will inspire its competition to do the same, it's the Dell XPS M1730 ($4,024 direct). The feel of gaming nirvana culminates as you feast your eyes on the tweakable 2.8-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo X7900 CPU, the nVidia SLI chipset, and something that has never been seen on a laptop—a built-in physics card from Ageia. But what about the pulsating Christmas lights that conjure up images of a nightclub? Well, the color-shifting LED lights are still intact, and there are even additional lighting effects under the keyboard and behind the lid. Awarding the M1730 an Editors' Choice is a no-brainer. (Taking a break from shamelessly showing it off might be a problem.)