It’s the same every time – as soon as a hot new CPU rolls around, gamers start itching for an upgrade. Luckily laptop makers are all too happy to satisfy those cravings, with Medion being next in line with the Erazer Beast X30 no-compromise gaming notebook.

This time the object of affection is Intel’s 12th-generation Core processor, which brings an all-new platform, support for rapid DDR5 memory and some stonkingly quick clock speeds. The Beast X30 gets a top-end Core i9-12900HK, which packs 14 cores and tops out at 5GHz – so it should demolish just about any task you send its way.

It’s a full-on desktop replacement, with a 17.3in, 2560×1440 resolution IPS display that promises 100% sRGB colour coverage. It’s a high-refresh rate panel that tops out at a lofty 240Hz, which the dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU should have no trouble playing games at.

The chassis is a respectably thin 26mm, but at 2.3kg it’s not exactly a featherweight – and that’s before you’ve packed the power brick in your travel bag. You’ll need it, too: Medion reckons the Beast X30 is good for up to four hours of battery life, but you can bet it won’t manage that while gaming.

There’s no shortage of connectivity, with three USB 3 ports, one USB Type-C that doubles as a Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI input, Ethernet, microSD card reader and twin audio ports for headphones and microphones. There’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 onboard, plus a Full HD webcam and stereo speakers. Naturally for a gaming machine, the keyboard is fully backlit with RGB lighting.

Medion tends to lean towards the more affordable end of the spectrum, but no-compromise gaming hardware doesn’t come cheap. The Erazer Beast X30 will set you back a wallet-wincing £2700, depending on configuration. It’s on sale today from Amazon, as well as all the usual PC hardware online stores.

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