HP has launched the Compaq Presario CQ62z affordable 15.6-inch notebook, starting at $381.

The Compaq Presario CQ62z processor choices include the dual-core AMD V120 at 2.2GHz, AMD Athlon II N330 at 2.3GHz, Turion II P520 at 2.3GHz, or Phenom II N620 at 2.8GHz, and triple-core Phenom II N830 at 2.1GHz. The laptop features the ATI Radeon HD 4250 integrated or Radeon HD545v 512MB dedicated graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 500GB of hard disk space, and a DVD writer or Blu-ray combo drive.

Its LED-backlit display has a resolution of 1366×768 pixels.

The Compaq Presario CQ62z also includes an optional web camera, microphone, built-in Altec Lansing stereo speakers, 802.11n WiFi, optional Bluetooth, Ethernet LAN, optional modem, three USB ports, and VGA output, as well as an HDMI port and a 5-in-1 media card reader in select configurations.

The 4.85-pound laptop comes with a 6-cell battery and has a matte-black exterior finish.

The CQ62z runs Windows 7 Home Premium OS and can be purchased now via HP’s online store.

Hewlett-Packard has updated the HP Pavilion dm3z 13.3″ ultraportable consumer notebook, which is now based on new 2010 AMD processors and graphics.

The Pavilion dm3z CPU choices include the AMD Athlon II Neo K125 at 1.7GHz, K325 at 1.3Ghz, or K625 at 1.5GHz. The dm3z features the ATI Radeon HD 4225 integrated graphics only or a switchable solution including both the IGP and the Radeon HD 5430 512MB dedicated GPU. The laptop has up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 640GB of hard disk space or a 128GB sold state drive, a 6-cell battery for up to 6 hours run time, and optional external DVD burner or external Blu-ray combo.

Its LED-backlit BrightView display has a resolution of 1366×768 pixels.

HP’s dm3z also includes a HP TrueVision web camera, digital microphone, Altec Lansing stereo speakers, HDMI and VGA outputs, 802.11n WiFi, Gigabit LAN, optional Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband powered by Gobi, four USB ports, and a 5-in-1 digital media reader.

The 4.17-pound laptop is “less than one inch thick” and has a stylish “Modern Argento” brushed aluminum chassis.

The HP Pavilion dm3z runs Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional edition and can be purchased at the HP online store for a base price of $499.99.

NVIDIA is going to release the GeForce GTX 480M high-perfomance video card for laptops, according to a listing at Canadian laptop maker Eurocom.

Starting next month, the GTX 480M will be available in the company’s 17-inch Cheetah and Panther and 18.4-inch Leopard desktop replacement notebooks.

The DirectX 11 mobile graphics card has a 256-bit memory interface and MXM 3.0b form factor.

According to the listing, the GeForce GTX 480M is $380 more expensive than the GTX 280M or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870.

Lenovo has released the G Series G455 and G555 affordable notebooks for mainstream consumers.

Both 14-inch Lenovo G455 and 15.6-inch G555 feature AMD Turion or Athlon processors, ATI Radeon graphics, and Windows 7 OS.

The G455 and G555 start at $449 and will be available in the U.S. beginning in March.