With its charcoal-grey chassis and overall solid feel, the new D7000SR from Hi-Grade creates a good first impression.

Thanks to the battery jutting out from the underside of the notebook, the D7000SR’s keyboard is slightly tilted, mimicking a standard desktop keyboard.

It has a fairly soft, almost spongy feel when typing and there is a small amount of flex if you press down hard, but overall it’s comfortable to use for extended periods.

The gap created by the bulging battery also allows for greater airflow beneath the notebook. However, even when idle the fan seems to enjoy leaping into action, pumping hot air out from the left side of the chassis. Next to this vent you’ll find the power socket as well as dual-link DVI-I, S-video and Gigabit Lan ports. On the right there’s an Express Card slot, DVD writer, 56k modem and two further USB2 sockets.

Five shortcut buttons sit just to the right of the power button, which itself is located on the left side of the notebook, while the usual audio sockets and a mini-Firewire sit conveniently at the front.

Intel’s current top of the range mobile processor, the 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo T7700, powers the notebook and, as a result, the Hi-Grade fared well in PCmark05, returning a score of 5,038; in the CPU section it achieved a highly impressive 5,857.

A total of 2GB of Ram backs up the powerful CPU; like the models in our group test, 667MHz memory modules have been used. Matching the 800MHz FSB (front-side bus) of the new Core 2 Duo processor with 800MHz Ram would be preferable, but this 800MHz memory is very thin on the ground at present.

You’ll also find 1GB of Turbo Memory in the D7000SR, which basically caches frequently used applications to speed up performance.

Hi-Grade may have opted for the fastest mobile Core 2 Duo CPU, but it wasn’t as adventurous when choosing the graphics card. Nvidia’s Geforce 8400M GS isn’t bad for a notebook, but it can’t compete with the faster 8600M GT.

Fear ran at an average of 99fps (frames per second), which certainly isn’t to be sniffed at, while 3Dmark05 and 3Dmark06 clocked in at 2,322 and 1,624 respectively. This means this notebook will be suitable for light gaming but will struggle when the detail and resolution settings are cranked up.

The screen doesn’t have a glossy coating, which means contrast isn’t as good as some notebooks, so DVDs won’t look too vivid. Vertical viewing angles aren’t so hot either, and you’ll need to position it carefully in order to get the best performance.

In our intensive battery test, the D7000SR lasted for an impressive one hour, 41 minutes. Bear in mind that if you turn the Wifi off, reduce the screen brightness and don’t put it under too much strain, you’ll get a lot more life out of it.

Although it’s not a requirement for Santa Rosa notebooks, Hi-Grade has included Intel’s latest 4965AGN card, which includes support for Draft-N as well as the more established 802.11a/b/g standards.

The fact that this Hi-Grade houses the fastest Intel processor is reflected in the price tag. However, you'll find better value for money and faster graphics in competing notebooks. That said, if it’s processor performance you’re after, the D7000SR certainly delivers.