Review Asus X55U-SX052H Notebook

Users who don't want to spend a lot of money on a notebook don't need to look very hard these days - the supply seems nearly unlimited. Dell Inspiron 13z charger Asus adds yet another inexpensive notebook to the mix: the 15.6-inch Asus X55U. The models in the X55U series feature AMD components but are otherwise identical to the Intel-based F55A and X55A series. We already reviewed the F55A-SX099D (Pentium B980, HD Graphics, Sandy Bridge) and the 17.3-inch Asus F75A (Pentium B980, HD Graphics). Dell Precision M6600 charger

For our review, we pit the X55U against two competitors: the Acer Aspire V5-551-64454G50Makk (AMD A6-4455M, Radeon HD 7500G) and the Toshiba Satellite C850-1LX (Celeron 1000M, HD Graphics, Ivy Bridge)). Both models are available for less than 400 Euros (~$520).

Case

Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi2528 charger We already took a closer look at the chassis when we reviewed the F55A. Asus uses matte, black plastic throughout. The back of the display lid and the palm rest are textured. Both the Aspire and the Satellite are also plastic - higher-end materials like aluminum can't be expected in this price range. The base unit is not particularly sturdy and flexes in some areas when pressure is applied. Both the base and the display lack in torsional rigidity. The hinges hold the lid securely in position - although we observed a little bit of display bounce. We were able to open the display one-handed as long as we proceeded slowly. Dell Vostro 1500 charger

Operating System and Recovery
The notebook comes with Windows 8 (64-bit) preinstalled; a DVD containing the OS is not included. Windows 8 recovery allows the user to restore the system back to default or repair any issues. To initiate the recovery, the user needs to hit F9 repeatedly during booting.

Asus not only supports Windows 8, but also Windows 7. The necessary drivers for both operating systems can be downloaded from the Asus support website. The notebook should also make Linux users happy: when we tried an install of Ubuntu Linux 13.04, most of the hardware - including the WLAN module and function keys (brightness control, volume) - was instantly recognized. Only the Bluetooth module didn't work. Dell T117C

Maintenance
After the removal of the maintenance cover, the RAM, the hard drive, and the WLAN module are easy to access - although the fan is not. The notebook has only one RAM slot, which is occupied by a 4 GB module. According to Asus, 4 GB is also the maximum RAM supported. A second slot would not improve performance, since this particular AMD APU only supports single-channel mode. Fujitsu LifeBook E8010 charger Intel processors and AMD A-series APUs also support dual-channel, which utilizes both the CPU and the GPU better and thus leads to an increase in performance. Swapping the hard drive for a different model is also no problem: all common 7 and 9.5 mm 2.5-inch hard drives would work just fine.

Performance

Even though the AMD APU is not particularly powerful, the CPU/GPU unit should still be sufficient for daily tasks such as internet communication, office-type work, browsing, and video playback - according to the spec sheet also in Full HD. To test the latter, we used the tool DXVA Checker with HD material (1920x1080 pixels, H.264 encoding) and recorded a CPU utilization of 8%. SONY VAIO VPCX11S1E charger

Our review model sells for around 350 Euros (~$450). Asus offers additional models in the X55U series with different APUs (E2-1800, E1-1200, E-450, C-60), hard drive sizes, and operating systems. The least expensive version utilizes the AMD C-60 APU, 320 GB hard drive, and Linux and retails for about 280 Euros (~$360). To get an idea of how our notebook would perform with the C-60 APU, we include a netbook equipped with the C-60 in our comparison. SAMSUNG NP-N150 charger

Interestingly enough, Asus only offers APUs for the X55U which are predominantly used in netbooks. Users who like the notebook but need more power should take a look at the F55A or X55A, which also start around 280 Euros (~$360).

Processor
Asus uses AMD's E2-1800 APU. The CPU section is a dual-core unit with 1.7 GHz and a TDP of 18 watts - close to the power requirements of Intel's ULV processors (17 watts) - but not nearly as powerful. A Turbo mode is not offered. Dell UG679

During the Cinebench tests, the processor maintained a clock speed of 1.7 GHz. As expected, the X55U scores the lowest in the synthetic CPU tests, while the Satellite (Celeron 1000M, HD Graphics) with the most powerful processor outperforms the competitors in our review. The scores of the Aspire (AMD A6-4455M, Radeon HD 7500G) fall in between the other two notebooks. The X55U received the lowest scores again in the GL test, since its GPU isn't very powerful. ASUS B50A-AG051E charger The Aspire scores the most points - the Radeon 7500G GPU outperforms its Intel counterpart.

System Performance
The notebook performs most tasks without major delays or lags. Only when the CPU is heavily utilized - for example when multiple browser windows are open - does the system slow down. Running PC Mark 7, the X55U scores about as many points as the Aspire (AMD A6-4455M, Radeon HD 7500G) - a bit surprising, since the Aspire actually has the more powerful APU. Acer Aspire 5742G charger The culprit is the Aspire's very slow hard drive. The Satellite (Celeron 1000M, HD Graphics) does much better in this test.

A Solid State Drive would definitely improve system and application performance. To check, we replaced the hard drive with a used SSD (Corsair Nova V32 - 32 GB), installed Windows 7, and repeated the PC Mark 7 benchmark test: the performance increased by 52% (1771 points). HP ProBook 4310s charger

Asus uses a conventional hard drive manufactured by Hitachi. The hard drive - a member of the Travelstar Z5K500 family - features a rotational speed of 5400 RPM and a capacity of 500 GB. As always, Asus partitions the hard drive: the OS partition is 186 GB, the data partition is 258 GB and 20 GB is reserved for the recovery partition. CrystalDiskMark and HDTune report an average read speed of 96.49 MB/s and 80 MB/s, respectively - quite good for a 5400 RPM hard drive.HP 511872-001 charger The access time of 21.2 ms is a bit too high though.

GPU Performance
The GPU - a Radeon HD 7340 - is part of the APU. The entry-level graphics processor supports DirectX 11 and features a base clock speed of 523 MHz. AMD Turbo Core can overclock the GPU to 680 MHz.

The results of the benchmark tests offer no surprises: the Aspire (AMD A6-4455M, Radeon HD 7500G) has the most powerful GPU and therefore receives the best scores; the Satellite (Celeron 1000M, HD Graphics) garners the second spot, the X55U comes in last.

Gaming Performance
TOSHIBA Satellite L755 charger A look at the frame rates makes it clear that the AMD APU just isn't powerful enough to play the current crop of games without stuttering. Even FIFA 13 - which certainly isn't very demanding - doesn't run smoothly. This particular APU wasn't really developed for this task though, so users interested in gaming need to look elsewhere. Two options are the 15.6-inch notebooks Aspire E1-571G (Core i3-3110M, GeForce GT 620M) and Packard Bell EasyNote TS11SB-250GE (AMD A8-3520M, Radeon HD 6620G + Radeon HD 7670M). Sony VGP-BPS9/S charger Both systems offer adequate performance at a reasonable cost: the street price is under 500 Euros (~$650).

The X55U remains fairly cool, no matter what load it is subjected to. During idle, the temperature changes hardly at all and remains below 30 °C. Under maximum load, the system gets slightly warmer - we observed between 26.8 and 34.1 °C. The notebook can be used on the lap without any issues. The Aspire shows similar temperatures during idle, but gets hotter under load. The Satellite gets about as warm as the X55U. HP HSTNN-OB77 charger

During the stress test (Prime 95 and Furmark running in parallel for at least one hour), the CPU maintained a clock speed of 1.7 GHz. The GPU operated at 523 MHz - we only saw the Turbo (680 MHz) kick in when Furmark was running by itself. When we unplugged the notebook, the GPU frequency decreased to as low as 283 MHz. With the notebook connected to external power, the CPU temperature hovered right around 63 °C.

Speakers
Dell Vostro 1510 charger The stereo speakers, which are located on the bottom, get quite loud and produce decent sound. Users who don't like to listen to notebook speakers can always hook up external speakers or use headphones.

Energy Management

Power Consumption
During idle, the X55U consumes between 9.1 and 12.4 watts - similar to the competitors Aspire (8.3 to 11.5 watts) and Satellite (8.5 to 12.1 watts). Under medium (3DMark06 is running) and high load levels (Prime95 and Furmark are running), the X55U requires 26.3 and 31.5 watts respectively. Dell XPS M1710 charger The power consumption of the Satellite (27.1 and 30.5 watts) is similar; the Aspire (32.6 and 38.9 watts) is more power hungry.

Battery Life
To determine the maximum possible battery life, we use the Battery Eater Reader's Test. We turn the display brightness all the way down, use the power saver profile, and turn off wireless. The X55U lasted 6 hours and 15 minutes. The Aspire didn't run quite as long (5 hours 26 minutes); the Satellite lasted a bit longer (6 hours 24 minutes). Under load, the X55U ran for 1 hour and 51 minutes before we had to plug it back in. Acer Aspire 4820TG charger Both the Aspire (1 hour 18 minutes) and the Satellite (1 hour 44 minutes) shut down sooner. For the load test, we use the Battery Eater Classic test. Here, we set the display to maximum brightness, enable the performance profile, and turn on wireless.

The WLAN test simulates a more realistic scenario. We set the display brightness to 150 cd/m2, activate the power saver profile and then run a script which visits a different website every 40 seconds. The X55U lasted for 3 hours and 43 minutes. HP COMPAQ 8510w charger The Satellite lasted slightly longer (3 hours 47 minutes), while the Aspire fell behind (3 hours 19 minutes). The X55U lasted 2 hours and 46 minutes during our DVD playback test. Neither one of the competitors managed to surpass the 3 hour mark, either (Aspire: 2 hours 34 minutes, Satellite: 2 hours 59 minutes). For this test, we activate the power saver profile (or choose a different one if the playback isn't smooth enough), turn the screen brightness up to maximum, and deactivate wireless. Acer UM09E31

It's not really surprising that the Aspire didn't last as long as the other notebooks: its battery only supplies 37 Wh (Asus: 47 Wh, Toshiba: 48 Wh). All things considered, the battery life of the X55U is somewhat disappointing: it's comparable to the Satellite, which doesn't feature a ULV CPU. The E2-1800 APU is capable of achieving longer runtimes with the same capacity battery - see our review of the Lenovo G585. DELL Vostro 3700 charger This notebook lasted 4 hours and 1 minute during the WLAN and 5 hours during the DVD playback test.

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Review Acer TravelMate P643-V-6424 Notebook and battery life

A durable, conservative design, security features, long battery life, and a matte screen: those are the hallmarks of business notebooks. Dell W6XNM Battery Acer's TravelMate series features laptops geared towards business users and professionals - although some versions of the notebook potentially appeal to the home users as well: the TravelMate P643-MG-53214G75Mikk, which we reviewed last year, featured the same chassis as our review candidate - but incorporated a dedicated gaming-capable GeForce GT 540M GPU solution. Acer also offers 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch models in the series. Dell X29KD Battery

Dell, HP, and Lenovo all have a reputation as business notebook brands and multiple offerings in their lineup to satisfy the needs of the demanding customer. Well-known examples in the 14-inch business-category are Dell's Latitude E6430s, HP's ProBook 6470b (Intel) and ProBook 6475b (AMD), and of course Lenovo's Thinkpad T430 and Thinkpad T430s. Dell XRDW2 Battery The TravelMate TMP643-V-6424 features a speedy Intel i5-3320M dual-core processor with integrated graphics, 8 GB of RAM, and a 500 GB conventional hard drive for a MSRP of $950. Considering the rather impressive and well-established competition, is Acer's take on a business notebook a viable choice?

"If it's not broken, don't fix it". This seems to be Acer's maxim as far as the chassis of the TravelMate P643 is concerned, as it is identical to last years TravelMate P643-MG-53214G75Mikk. Dell YGMTN Battery The appearance is classy, but understated, as one would expect from a business-oriented machine. The brushed metal display lid looks very sharp; the simple black plastic surrounding the keyboard and the touchpad less so. Sturdiness, rigidity, as well as fit and finish are very decent, however. For a detailed look at the chassis, please read our review of the TravelMate P643-MG-53214G75Mikk.

Connectivity

Dell 2P2MJ Battery The interface selection also remains unchanged - as does the location of the ports. We would have hoped for changes to the latter: all three USB 3.0 ports are all the way up front on the right hand side, making it next to impossible to plug in any kind of USB device without crowding the workspace to the right. Even a regular-sized USB flash drive can already get into the way when operating a mouse, for example. Dell 911MD Battery The ports are also very close together, so a larger USB device could potentially make the port next to it unusable. For detailed information on the interface selection please take a look at our review here.

Communication
While the TravelMate P643-MG utilizes a Gigabit Ethernet controller from Broadcom, our review model makes use of an Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network Adapter for cable-based connections. An Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 mini PCIe card provides Wi-Fi standards 802.11b/g/n, as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and Intel WiDi (Intel Wireless Display). Dell DHT0W Battery To transmit the signal to another device, like a TV or monitor, an external adapter is required.

Acer's SignalUp-technology integrates antennas in the top of the display panel to reduce the interference caused by shielding. When we checked wireless signal reception, we indeed saw better-than-average connectivity - the Windows signal-strength indicator never dropped below five bars in our test environment. Acer does not offer cellular-based telecommunication technologies like UMTS. Dell HCJWT Battery

The webcam offers a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (1.3 MP) and delivers decent enough pictures in natural light. In artificially lit environments the performance is marred by a high amount of graininess and color noise.

Security
Security features play an important role than with normal consumer laptops. Aside from the ubiquitous Kensington Lock Slot, Acer equips the TravelMate with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which allows for the unique identification of the notebook and provides cryptographic security, and a fingerprint reader. Dell M5Y0X Battery The Acer Office Manager software is a monitoring and asset management tool, which allows the notebook to be remotely managed and updated.

Accessories
The retail box includes the notebook, the 65-watt power adapter, various pamphlets, and a cleaning cloth. Acer offers a 90 watt power adapter and additional 6-cell Li-Ion batteries (6000mAh - larger batteries are not offered) for $60. We were not able to find Acer's ProDock in the online web store - a quick search revealed several online retailers who sell the dock for about $130 though. Dell NHXVW Battery The dock adds VGA, a DisplayPort, DVI-D, HDMI, RJ-45, a headphones/speaker jack, microphone-in, line-in, and four additional USB 3.0 ports.

Performance

The Acer TravelMate TMP643-V-6424 is equipped with the midrange, but nonetheless quite speedy 2.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-3320M processor, which should certainly be able to handle everyday tasks without any issues. Graphics duties are handled by the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000, although certain models in the P6-series are equipped with dedicated graphics cards. 8 GB of DDR3 RAM in a dual-channel configuration (2x4GB) and a 500 GB conventional hard drive round out the hardware. Dell P8TC7 Battery

Processor
The dual-core i5-3320M processor is part of Intel's Ivy Bridge generation and manufactured using the 22 nanometer process. The CPU is clocked at 2.6 GHz, although Turbo Boost can overclock to 3.3 GHz. The processor features a level 3 cache of 3 MB and a TDP (thermal design power) of 35 watts.

The synthetic CPU benchmarks returned numbers right in line with our expectations and the results of competing notebooks equipped with the same i5-3320M CPU. The Cinebench Single and Multi 64-bit results of the HP ProBook 6470b, for example, are within a few percentage points of our review unit - the TravelMate P643 is 2.3% and 1.4% faster, respectively. Dell P9TJ0 Battery

Turbo Mode works reliably - we also never observed any throttling even when we pushed the system to its limit. During our stress test, the two cores remained right at 3 GHz.

System Performance
The results of the synthetic benchmark tests depend to a large extend on hard drive performance. The Dell Latitude E6430s, for example, which is equipped with the slightly faster Intel Core i5-3360M, also has a much faster SSD - and the scores show it: when we ran PCMark Vantage and PCMark 7, our review model scored 6687 points and 2945 points - the Dell pretty much doubled the results and scored 14780 and 5896 points, respectively. Dell PRRRF Battery The Thinkpad T430s, which is equipped with the same processor and also features a platter-based hard drive, posted 8155 and 2415 points. The AMD-equipped ProBook 6475b falls behind and only manages to score 4194 and 1615 points.

During our time with the notebook, we never had issues with the performance: the system handles office-type tasks like word processing and websurfing with aplomb. Bootup time lags behind systems with SSDs, but is still reasonabe at about 45 seconds. Dell PRV1Y Battery

The hard drive - a Western Digital Scorpio Black (model WDC WD5000BPKT-22PK4T0) with a capacity of 500GB and a spindle speed of 7200 RPM - is attached via a 6GB/s Sata III interface. The data transfer rates are about average for a 7200 RPM hard drive in both HD Tune and Crystal Disk Mark, with 82.9 MB/s and 105 MB/s read speeds respectively. Dell R48V3 Battery The Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 HTS725050A7E630 installed in the Thinkpad T430 and Thinkpad T430s is quite a bit quicker at 98.9 MB/s and 118 MB/s.

A SSD would significantly improve overall system performance. Although Acer does not offer a SSD option for this particular series, a hard drive replacement is not overly difficult: after removing the maintenance cover on the bottom, the hard drive - in this case a 9 mm model - is removable without the aid of a screwdriver or other tools.

For a performance comparison of the different hard drives, please take a look at our database here. Dell RU485 Battery

Gaming Performance
As a business-oriented machine, the P643-V-6424 forgoes a dedicated graphics solution in favor of the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000. The GPU supports DirectX 11 and completed our tests with clock rates between 350 and 1200 MHz. Even the stress test, which pushes both the CPU and the GPU to its limits, saw the clock rate remain at a steady 1150 Mhz. Dell T54F3 Battery This results in very good scores of 690 points in the 3DMark 11 and 6269 points in the 3DMark 06 test - besting the Dell Latitude's E6430s 685 and 5558 points.

Systems with a dedicated GPU of course score much better. The Thinkpad T430 scored 1263 points running the 3DMark 11 and 9170 points running the 3DMark 06 benchmark test.

For an integrated GPU, however, the performance is quite decent: we were able to play less demanding games like FIFA 13 at reasonably high frame rates. Of course, modern - and hardware intensive - 3D games are not going to play at acceptable frame rates at medium and higher resolution and quality settings. Dell T54FJ Battery

Emissions

System Noise
Although the fan of the TravelMate TMP643-V-6424 remains active at all times, the noise is generally well controlled. During idle, we saw a maximum of 34.8 dB - on the same level as the HP ProBook 6470b and audible only in very quiet environments. The Dell Latitude E6430s only emitted 31.2 dB in the same conditions, while the T430 reached 32.2 dB. Dell UJ499 Battery Under full load, system noise increases to 46.9 dB, which is higher than any other system in this comparison - only the Dell comes close with 46.2 dB. Even the slimmer T430s with its dedicated GPU stays under 40 dB under full load. Of course, it's unlikely that the user will see the recorded maximum level while performing daily tasks.

The DVD drive reaches up to 39.8 dB during playback. When we watched a movie, we never found the noise disturbing even during quiet passages. Dell X57F1 Battery

We take surface measurements both on the top and the bottom under idle and maximum load conditions. During idle, the system stays below 30 degrees Celsius on the top, while the bottom sees a maximum of almost 33 degrees in the bottom right hand corner. After running both Prime95 and FurMark for an hour, we checked the temperatures again. This time, the hot spot was on the left bottom under the exhaust fan. 45 degrees Celsius is quite warm and noticeable when the system is placed on the lap for extended periods of time. Dell 2P2MJ Battery In a load scenario, the temperatures are not very uniform, either - we measured a 15 degree Celsius differential between the bottom left and the bottom right side. The touchpad itself and the palm rest to the left of it also get noticeably warm when the system is pushed to its limit.

The power adapter reaches almost 58 degrees when the system is performing near its maximum and requires adequate cooling. Of course, the high temperatures we observed are unlikely to occur in a typical usage-scenario. Dell 911MD Battery

To check for throttling, we run our stress test - both Prime95 and FurMark together for at least one hour: the two cores remained right at 3 GHz at all times. When we disconnected the power, we saw a drop to the nominal CPU frequency of 2.6 GHz but no dips below. Dell DHT0W Battery The GPU clock rate stayed between 350 and 1200 MHz: before our stress test, the GPU was sitting at its idle frequency of 350 Mhz - as soon as FurMark started running, the GPU increased its frequency to 1200 MHz before settling in at 1150 Mhz and staying there for the remainder of the test. When we conducted a 3DMark 06 test immediately following the stress test, we saw no decrease in CPU and GPU performance.

The temperature of the CPU/GPU unit reached 94 degrees Celsius and remained there for the duration of the test.

Battery Life

The Acer TravelMate TMP643-V-6424 comes with a removable 6-cell, 65 Wh battery. Dell HCJWT Battery Larger batteries are not offered, although a secondary battery retails for a reasonable $60. We tested the T430 with a 9-cell battery - so the results are not directly comparable.

We use the BatteryEater tests to check the run time. First, we establish the maximum battery life. For this test, we set the brightness to minimum, disable the wireless radios, and choose an energy-saving profile. The notebook lasted for 8 hours and 59 minutes. The Dell Latitude, which has the same size battery, lasted 10 hours and 10 minutes. Dell M5Y0X Battery

For the minimum battery life, we set the brightness to maximum, enable WLAN, and choose the high-performance profile. After 1 hour and 51 minutes the system shut down. The WLAN test simulates a more real-life scenario: we set the display brightness to 150 cd/m2, activate the balanced profile and use a script, which automatically visits different types of websites. Dell NHXVW Battery Under these conditions, the P643 lasted for 4 hours and 10 minutes, the Dell Latitude for 5 hours 34 minutes, and the Lenovo T430s, which is hampered by its smaller 45 Wh battery, quit after 3 hours even. The T430 with its 9-cell battery managed 6 hours and 29 minutes.

We then activated the balanced profile, turned the screen back up to maximum brightness and WiFi off to check DVD performance. The notebook lasted for 3 hours and 19 minutes - more than enough even for a very long movie. The AMD-based ProBook 6475b lasted 3 hours 54 minutes, its Intel counterpart 6470b a few minutes longer. Dell P8TC7 Battery

The charge times are very long: it took almost 3 hours before the P643 was ready for another session away from the outlet. The ProBook 6470b only took 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The Acer TravelMate TMP643-V-6424 is a solid, well-designed notebook. The magnesium alloy constructions should ensure that the notebook can handle the rigors of the road for years to come. Overall performance is certainly adequate and should please the intended audience. Dell P9TJ0 Battery While Lenovo, HP, and Dell offer many configurations, including Core i7 processors, SSDs, and HD+ displays, Acer does not offer pre-configurable options with the P643 - although there are differently equipped models in the series. The included security features and software are also appropriate for businesses. The notebook has its drawbacks: the screen is neither bright enough nor does it offer decent contrast - factors which severely limit its usability outdoors. Dell PRRRF Battery Acer also doesn't offer higher resolutions, so the user has to make due with 1366x768 pixels. Some business users will also lament the absence of a trackpoint/pointing stick - a standard on all other systems mentioned.

At the time of this writing, the TravelMate TMP643-V-6424 sells for $950 on Acer's website. A similarly configured Thinkpad T430s sells for the same price directly from Lenovo - the slightly thicker Thinkpad T430 sells for even less but includes a superior 1600x900 HD+ display. Dell PRV1Y Battery Both systems also include a dedicated GPU, which might be interesting to some professionals who need better graphics performance. The Latitude E6430s with a 1366x768 costs about $200 more. The ProBook 6470b with the same processor but only 4 GB of RAM sells for around $800.

Die-hard Lenovo, Dell, or HP users probably won't see a compelling reason to switch to a TravelMate - but small business or even home users who haven't made up their mind yet might appreciate the fact that there is another solid option to choose from.

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Review Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E130 NZUAXMB Notebook and battery life

Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge product line encompasses laptops that offer ThinkPad quality at an affordable price. The range is comprised of 11.6- to 15.6-inch devices. We have already tested various members of the range. Dell Vostro 1510 battery Another configuration of the ThinkPad Edge E130 NZU5FGE (Pentium 977, HD Graphics) has also faced our tests. The same is true for the ThinkPad Edge E135 (AMD E2-1800, Radeon HD 7340) sister model. The Edge E130 NZU5FGE convinced us in the test. Our review reveals whether the latest model featuring a Core i3 processor will also manage to do so.

We used Acer's TravelMate B113-M (Core i3-2377M, HD Graphics 3000) and Asus' VivoBook S200E (Core i3-3217U, HD Graphics 4000) to classify the laptop.

Case

We have exhaustively described the ThinkPad's casing in the previous review of the E130 model. Therefore, we will keep this part short. The casing is completely made of black plastic. It makes an overall rigid impression and is largely insensitive to pressure. The tight hinges keep the lid firmly in position and do not rock. Dell XPS M1710 battery

Connectivity

Our three test devices all sport the usual interfaces found nowadays. The VivoBook is the only device that does not feature a Gigabit Ethernet port and can only offer Fast Ethernet. None of the three laptops have an optical drive. All subnotebooks include at least one USB 3.0 port. The interfaces positioning of the Edge 130 is unfavorable and they are mostly located at the front of both sides. However, this is virtually the only solution due to the laptop's compact size. DELL Vostro 3700 battery

Communication

The Wi-Fi module installed in the Edge E130 comes from Broadcom and supports WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n standards. Reception was no problem. The connection remained stable in both the router's vicinity (approx. 3 meters; signal strength: 50%) and two stories below its position. Realtek's RTL8168/8111 Gigabit Ethernet chip connects to cabled networks. Lenovo also installs a Bluetooth 4.0 module in the small laptop. The webcam takes blurry pictures in a resolution of up to 1280x720 pixels. Dell Latitude D400 battery

Security

Besides the compulsory Kensington lock slot for securing the laptop physically, other security features are found only as software on the hard drive. For example, passwords for various internet services can be stored in the Password Vault tool. The hard drive is protected by Active Protection System, which prevents data loss should the laptop be dropped. A sensor detects the fall and parks the write/read heads. Dell Inspiron 910 battery

Accessories

Only a quick start poster is found in the laptop's box. There are no other accessories included.

Operating System and Recovery

A 64-bit version of Windows 8 serves as the operating system on our test device. A Windows 8 DVD is not included. A Windows 8 recovery system is installed for repairing or resetting the operating system. It is opened by pressing the F11 key while booting the laptop. Dell R795X

Users who prefer Windows 7 can find the required drivers on Lenovo's website. Windows XP support, still important for companies today, is also made available by corresponding drivers insofar as they still exist. Since Lenovo also offers Edge 130 models without a Windows operating system, we also tried Linux on the laptop.

We installed Ubuntu Linux 12.04 LTS on the ThinkPad. Most hardware components worked immediately after installation. DELL XPS L701x battery That included the function keys along with screen brightness control. Only the Wi-Fi module and TrackPoint refused to operate. However, we managed to get them to work. We linked the ThinkPad to the router via a cable to install the WLAN driver. The driver can then be downloaded, installed and enabled via the menu item "Additional Drivers". ThinkPad Extras has to be installed to activate the TrackPoint. An internet connection is needed for this. The terminal is opened and these two commands have to be executed: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linrunner/thinkpad-extras and sudo apt-get update. Dell XPS M1730 battery The TrackPoint worked after rebooting the system.

Maintenance

It is possible to access the working memory, hard drive, Wi-Fi module and the BIOS battery after removing the large maintenance cover on the laptop's bottom. The user only has restricted access to the fan. The Edge E130 features two working memory banks. Only one was equipped with a 4 GB module in our test device. Dell Inspiron 1501 battery According to the manufacturer, up to 8 GB of working memory is supported. Replacing the hard drive is no problem. Only two screws have to be removed and the drive can be taken out. The laptop can only harbor hard drives with a thickness of 7 mm.

The ThinkPad also features an mSATA slot. Matching solid state drives can be inserted here. Thus, the existing hard drive does not have to be removed. Using an additional SSD as a cache would also be an option. We tried this and installed a 16 GB SSD (SanDisk SDSA3DD for 26 Euros, ~$33). The corresponding software is required in order to use the SSD as a cache. Dell Latitude E5500 battery Lenovo's ExpressCache is such software that can be downloaded. Although the ThinkPad Edge E130 is not listed among the compatible laptops on Lenovo's website, the software worked without problems. A command line tool is installed alongside ExpressCache and allows checking whether the SSD is really being used as a cache. Instructions for using the tool can also be found on the download site.

Warranty

Dell PT6V8 The ThinkPad Edge includes a 12 month bring-in warranty. The customer has to send the laptop to Lenovo in warranty cases. The VivoBook and TravelMate come with the same warranty service. All available warranty upgrades can be seen on Lenovo's website after entering the ThinkPad's serial number. Lenovo does not offer many options. A four year on-site warranty for the next business day costs around 180 Euros (~$233). The price increases to approximately 320 Euros (~$415) together with Accidental Damage Protection, which, for example, covers damages through spilled fluids. Dell Inspiron 15R battery

Performance

Lenovo provides light, portable and long-lasting 11.6-inch laptops in the ThinkPad Edge E130 range. The devices supply more than enough power for routine tasks like word processing, internet communication or video playback. The manufacturer provided us with our test device. We could not find this configuration in retail at the time of the review. Dell XPS M1330 battery The price will likely range from 500 Euros to 600 Euros (~$648 to $77 . This estimate is based on an identical model that additionally features a UMTS module and a second operating system (Windows 7) and which is currently available for 600 Euros (~$77 .

The various Edge E130 models differ in terms of processor (from Pentium to Core i5), hard drive capacity, hard drive model (with and without SSD cache) and operating system (Windows 7 and/or Windows 8, FreeDos). As mentioned, models featuring a UMTS module are also available. The cheapest member of this range is currently sold for just under 350 Euros (~$454). Dell Latitude E6500 battery The buyer gets a Pentium 997, 4 GB of working memory and a 320 GB hard drive here.

The Edge E330 (13.3-inches) and Edge E530 (15.6-inches) are both larger alternatives to the Edge E130. Both devices scored just as well as the Edge E130. This also applies to the Edge E335 and Edge E535 counterparts based on AMD technology.

Processor
Our test device is powered by Intel's Core i3-3227U dual-core processor. The CPU is a member of the Ivy Bridge generation and clocks with a speed of 1.9 GHz. It does not feature Turbo. It is a ULV processor. DELL Vostro V13 battery The CPU operates with a low voltage, which results in a low power consumption. Intel specifies a TDP of 17 watts.

The E130 performed the Cinebench tests at full clock speed (1.9 GHz). It is not surprising that it wins all CPU tests seeing that the ThinkPad Edge sports the strongest CPU. The difference over the VivoBook is bigger than the minor clock frequency difference would let us assume (1.9 to 1.8 GHz). The reason for this is that the VivoBook (Core i3-3217U, HD Graphics 4000) tends to throttle. The scores of the TravelMate (Core i3-2377M, HD Graphics 3000) lag behind both contenders. Dell Latitude D830 battery

The ThinkPad also clearly wins the GL tests. Despite its stronger GPU, the VivoBook remains behind the TravelMate in the Cinebench R11.5 GL test. Again, throttling is the reason for this.

System Performance
The system runs quickly and smoothly. However, it sometimes takes a bit too long until the system responds to a mouse click, for example initiating software installation. We assume that the reason for this is related to the Windows installation, so the additionally installed software. DELL XPS 15 battery We exclude the hard drive because it supplied good access rates. The scores in both PCMark benchmarks were good. The results from the TravelMate (Core i3-2377M, HD Graphics 3000) and the VivoBook (Core i3-3217U, HD Graphics 4000) lag behind that.

These scores could be boosted by installing a second working memory module because the working memory would operate in dual-channel mode and both the CPU and GPU would be used more efficiently. We tried this and could improve the PCMark 7 score by approximately 7% to 2653 points and almost 9% to 5344 points in PCMark Vantage. DELL Vostro 3500 battery

The work speed increased considerably when the installed hard drive was replaced with a solid state drive. Our Corsair V32 - 32 GB SSD alongside a new Windows 7 installation increased the PCMark 7 score by approx. 30% to 3193 points. The boost wasn't as significant with a 16 GB SSD cache in conjunction with the Edge's standard hard drive. Dell Inspiron 640m battery In this case, the PCMark 7 score improved by roughly 15% to 2854 points.

Lenovo installs a hard drive from Hitachi's TravelStar Z7K500 range in the ThinkPad. It has a capacity of 500 GB and spins at 7200 revolutions per minute. CrystalDiskMark recorded a read speed of 123.8 MB/s. HDTune ascertained an average transfer rate of 102.4 MB/s. The access time of 16.3 ms was also low. Those are overall good results that we do not see every day. Dell Latitude D820 battery

Lenovo seems to completely rely on fast hard drives for its Edge E130 range. The hard drive in the previously reviewed Edge E130 model supplied good rates and the same is true for the hard drive in the Edge E135.

Graphics Card
The ThinkPad uses HD Graphics 4000. The graphics core clocks with a speed ranging from 350 to 1100 MHz and supports DirectX 11.

The ThinkPad also wins the diverse 3DMark benchmarks. The scores of the VivoBook (Core i3-3217U, HD Graphics 4000) are extremely low and lag far behind those of the TravelMate (Core i3-2377M, HD Graphics 3000) that sports the nominally weakest CPU. This is again due to the VivoBook's throttling issue. DELL XPS L501x battery

The 3DMark benchmark scores could also be improved by installing a second working memory module. Intel's GPU would be maxed out more effectively via the dual-channel mode. The 3DMark 11 score increased by approximately 10% to 654 points. A lot more was extracted in the latest 3DMark 2013. The scores increased by 16.2% (Ice Storm), 25.5% (Cloud Gate) and 22.6% (Fire Strike). Dell Inspiron 6000 battery

Gaming Performance
The ThinkPad is not a gaming laptop alone due to its screen size. However, users who have a bit of spare time on the go can definitely play the odd game. The array of the Core i3 processor and HD Graphics 4000 is able to render up-to-date 3D games smoothly on the screen in a low resolution and quality level. Less demanding games also still achieve smooth frame rates in the native resolution (1366x768 pixels) and medium quality settings. Dell 3932D battery We can name FIFA 13 as an example.

Higher frame rates would be possible when a second working memory module is installed in the ThinkPad. The working memory then works in dual-channel mode and the GPU would benefit from that. We tried it. The frame rates in the game Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm increased to 102.2 fps (min), 30.3 fps (medium) and 20.6 fps (high). That is an average increase of nearly 23%. It looks pretty much the same in Anno 2070. Dell Latitude X1 battery The frame rates increased by roughly 22% to 45.4 fps (min) and 23.7 fps (medium).

System Noise

Lenovo's Edge E130 is a laptop that works quietly in all load ranges. We measured a noise level of 31.5 and 33 dB in idle mode. The fan even occasionally stopped spinning. The VivoBook (32.1 to 32.4 dB) is roughly on a par with the ThinkPad and the TravelMate is slightly louder (33.3 to 34.1 dB). The Edge E130 reached 35.2 dB during medium load via 3DMark06 and 36.6 dB during full load via Prime95 and Furmark (stress test). DELL Latitude E6530 Battery Again, the VivoBook exhibits similar rates with 36.5 dB for both scenarios. Only the TravelMate produced more noise with 37.4 and 39.6 dB.

The ThinkPad's surface temperatures were just above 30 °C in idle mode. The rates increased to 30.4 to 42 °C during full load. Consequently, it is possible to use the device on the lap in every load scenario. The VivoBook's temperature is lower in all load ranges. However, it surpasses 50 °C in one area on the casing's bottom during full load. The TravelMate doesn't fare as well. Dell M5Y0X The casing's temperature surpassed 50 °C in several areas during full load.

Both the CPU and GPU performed the stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run simultaneously for at least one hour) with full speed in AC mode (CPU: 1.9 GHz; GPU: 1.1 GHz). The CPU also ran through the stress test with maximum speed in battery mode. The GPU's speed marginally throttled to 1050 to 1100 MHz and occasionally even 1000 MHz. The CPU's temperature settled to approximately 74 °C in AC-mode. DELL Alienware M14x battery

Speakers
The ThinkPad's stereo speakers are located in the front area of the casing's bottom. They produce a full sound that clearly lacks bass. Overall, the sound is acceptable for a small office laptop. It is always possible to connect external speakers or headphones for a better sound experience.

Power Consumption

The ThinkPad is satisfied with an acceptable idle consumption ranging from 6.8 to 10.8 watts. The VivoBook proves that better rates are possible with 5.6 to 8.6 watts. Dell Inspiron 5160 battery The TravelMate's 7.5 to 9.1 watts is approximately on a par with the ThinkPad. The ThinkPad's rates of 29.2 watts during medium load via 3DMark06 and 33.6 watts during the stress test via Prime95 and Furmark prove a bit more energy-efficient than the TravelMate (30.4 and 35.6 watts). The VivoBook's rates of 17.3 and 20.7 watts are very low due to the device's throttling. Both contenders could match these results if the CPU and GPU were throttled accordingly. Dell Latitude E5410 battery

Battery Runtime
A charged battery kept the ThinkPad running for a whole 10:23 h in idle mode. Both the VivoBook (5:17 h) and TravelMate (6:35 h) lag far behind that. The idle runtime is ascertained using Battery Eater's Reader's test. The screen is set to minimum brightness, the energy-savings profile is enabled and the wireless modules are disabled. The three laptops are closer during load. The Edge E130 lasted the longest with 2:12 h. The VivoBook achieved 2:00 h and the TravelMate 1:51 h here. Dell Latitude E6410 battery The load runtime is ascertained using Battery Eater's Classic test. The screen is set to maximum brightness, the high-performance profile and the wireless modules are enabled.

The ThinkPad finished the Wi-Fi test after 5:44 h. Both the VivoBook (3:43 h) and the TravelMate (3:25 h) were drained sooner. Websites are automatically opened every 40 seconds in this test. The energy-savings profile is enabled and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m².

It is not surprising that the ThinkPad achieves the longest runtimes. Its battery has the largest capacity with 63 Wh. Neither the VivoBook's battery (38 Wh) nor the TravelMate's (37 Wh) can compete with that. Dell Alienware M11x battery

Like the previously reviewed model from the Edge E130 range, the new model convinces. It offers decent application performance, long battery runtimes and works quietly. It also features a good keyboard and a swift hard drive. The middling screen ruins the overall impression to an extent. There is even savings potential. Dell Inspiron 1564 battery Users who do not need computing power, storage capacity or a Windows operating system can acquire the cheapest E130 model for approximately 350 Euros (~$454).

Asus' VivoBook S200E caters to users who want an 11.6-inch touchscreen laptop. The VivoBook is also available for less than 500 Euros (~$648, featuring a Pentium processor and not a Core i3). We did not find any reasons for preferring Acer's TravelMate B113-M over the Edge E130. The TravelMate achieves shorter battery runtimes, heats up more and also tends to throttle.

Posted by: luckystar at 03:59 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Review Sony Vaio SV-T14124CXS Notebook and battery life

The launch of Windows 8 has started a surge of touchscreen-enabled notebooks and the Sony T14 is no exception. The updated Vaio joins the recently reviewed Sony T15 as both models share the same chassis and physical qualities, so more details and information can be found in our review of the 2013 Vaio T15. VAIO VGN-P23G/W Battery The smaller T14 model, however, has at least an $80 price advantage over its larger brother. As reviewed, the 14-inch Vaio is equipped with an ULV 1.9 GHz Core i3-3227U CPU, 4 GB DDR3 single-channel RAM, 1366 x 768 resolution touchscreen display and integrated HD 4000 graphics for a retail price of $700. The Sony Vaio lineup has always had the looks, but is the performance of the T14 up to par against other recently released budget touchscreen notebooks? Sony VAIO VGN-P25G/N Battery

Case

Though Sony notebooks usually offer a colorful range of options, the default silver/white scheme is perhaps the defining color of the series. The T14 offers a smooth brushed aluminum lid and a more matte plastic base with distinct edges and corners. The relatively flat design can be attributed to the reserved use of curves, yet the notebook avoids the inevitable boxy look by incorporating slanted sides and chrome trimmings where appropriate without looking excessive. Sony VAIO VGN-P29VN/Q Battery The lack of any overly glossy surfaces (aside from the display itself) also helps in keeping surfaces relatively free from visible fingerprints or grease. It's an attractive look that could easily pass as something more expensive.

Quality-wise, the outer lid has average resistance to pressure as a slight depression can be seen when pushed down with a hand. In contrast, the keyboard and palm rests perform much more favorably with less warping from applied pressure or side-to-side twisting. Sony VAIO VGN-P31ZK/Q Battery The exception here is the area around the Enter key, though this is attributed to the hollow space directly underneath for the DVD or Blu-ray drive. The only major complaint is the hinges as they allow too much wobbling of the screen, similar to what we observed with the T15.

The overall weight of 2.00 kg is lighter than the competing Toshiba Satellite P845T (2.16 kg), about the same as the Acer Aspire M5-481PT (2.01 kg), and heavier than the more expensive ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch (1.52 kg). The T14 is also thinner than the Toshiba above, yet thicker than the X1 Carbon, which evidently puts it in the mainstream range with regards to weight and size. Sony VAIO VGN-P31ZK/R Battery In fact, its 22 mm thickness barely passes the Intel Ultrabook specifications, so the T14 is clearly aiming for consumers on a tighter budget than say a Samsung Series 9 Lenovo X1 Carbon.

Connectivity

The T14 offers the same physical connectivity features as its larger 15-inch model, sans one USB port. Thus, only two USB ports are available whereas other 14-inch notebooks like the Satellite P845T or Vaio SV-E14 offer three or four, respectively. Aside from that, no ports are located on the rear or too close up front for easy accessibility. Sony VAIO VGN-P33GK/W Battery A dedicated Memory Stick Pro Duo reader, as is typical of Sony devices, sits alongside the usual SD card reader on the front edge.

Connectivity

The T14 offers the same physical connectivity features as its larger 15-inch model, sans one USB port. Thus, only two USB ports are available whereas other 14-inch notebooks like the Satellite P845T or Vaio SV-E14 offer three or four, respectively. Aside from that, no ports are located on the rear or too close up front for easy accessibility. VAIO VGN-P35GK/N Battery A dedicated Memory Stick Pro Duo reader, as is typical of Sony devices, sits alongside the usual SD card reader on the front edge.

Keyboard
The non-backlit Chiclet keyboard is of ample size (28.25 cm x 10.5 cm) and feels similar to the backlit version as found on the larger Vaio T15. This means that the keys are unfortunately quite soft and shallow with poor overall feedback. In fact, feedback while typing is so low that it can be easy to miss a letter or two at first. Sony VAIO VGN-P35MK/Q Battery Jumping between a desktop keyboard and the T14 is thus quite a shift, though we can appreciate the reduced noise and clatter on the Vaio. For many users, it may take a good amount of time before adapting comfortably to the very short travel.

Aside from the basic keys, Sony provides the usual Assist, Web, and VAIO auxiliary keys. Assist will launch VAIOCare while VAIO provides an easy one-window access to basic system functions including wireless, brightness, and network sharing.Sony VAIO VGN-P39VL/Q Battery Regardless, dedicated volume keys are sorely missing and still require a combination Fn input to control.

Touchpad
The smooth and matte touchpad (10 cm x 5.5 cm) is narrow and is almost as tall as it is wide, which is fitting for a widescreen setup. Even so, it wouldn't have hurt to increase its vertical length for more headroom during navigation. We ran into no accuracy issues with the touchpad as even multi-touch controls worked reliably, though the Zoom function feels clunky with a delayed onscreen response. Sony VAIO VGN-P45GK/N Battery The integrated left and right click keys offer strong feedback and a clear pressure point for easy use despite the short travel. For times when an external mouse is not available, the touchpad will work reliably as intended.

Touchscreen
A capacitive touchscreen is slowly becoming the norm with mainstream Windows 8 notebooks, though its usefulness and practicality on a regular notebook is debatable. Nonetheless, the multi-touch touchscreen on the T14 works flawlessly and without input issues and is even great for some simple gaming. Sony VAIO VGN-P45GK/P Battery The lack of a special tablet mode, however, does mean that reaching out to the screen to perform simple touch-based tasks can be tiresome after a while.

Display

The edge-to-edge glossy display is protected by a layer of edge-to-edge glass and is only available with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, a standard amongst budget to mainstream notebooks in this category. Subjectively, texts and images are clean with minimal hints of the screen door effect. VAIO VGN-P45GK/Q Battery

Brightness, unfortunately, is very low. With a recorded average of about 155 cd/m2, we found ourselves settling on the maximum brightness setting even when under typical indoor ambient lighting. Glare from nearby lights or windows can thus be an issue for those who already prefer matte displays over glossy. For comparison, the 15-inch Vaio T15 and 14-inch Satellite P845T offer higher maximum screen brightness. Sony VAIO VGN-P50/G Battery Contrast is also a bit below average on the T14, which is acceptable for office work, but low enough to lose minute details in videos with dark scenes.

Additional display measurements were performed with an X-Rite spectral profiler. The T14 showed both poor grayscale performance and color accuracy in most situations. Red and blue in particular are represented with much poorer precision compared to green, leading to an almost equally inaccurate representation of purple or magenta. Gamma is also on the low side at a recorded 1.64, which can produce images with too much emphasis on white. VGN-P50/R Battery

Note that the results for color saturation below may not be entirely accurate due to an error in a number of the pattern change prompts during testing. However, it does reflect similar findings in that green remains much more accurate in all saturation levels compared to red and blue.

Additional display measurements were performed with an X-Rite spectral profiler. The T14 showed both poor grayscale performance and color accuracy in most situations. Red and blue in particular are represented with much poorer precision compared to green, leading to an almost equally inaccurate representation of purple or magenta. Sony VAIO VGN-P530CH/G Battery Gamma is also on the low side at a recorded 1.64, which can produce images with too much emphasis on white.

Note that the results for color saturation below may not be entirely accurate due to an error in a number of the pattern change prompts during testing. However, it does reflect similar findings in that green remains much more accurate in all saturation levels compared to red and blue. Sony VGN-P530CH/Q charger

Performance

The T14 ships with one of three available Intel Core ix Ivy Bridge CPUs: a base entry-level 1.9 GHz Core i3-3227U, mid-range 1.8 GHz Core i5-3337U (+$70), and the upper-class 2.0 GHz Core i7-3537U (+$170). Each core is an ULV CPU rated for a 17 Watt TDP, though the i3 family notably lacks any Turbo Boost functionality. The model in review is equipped with this latter CPU which should be ideal for more casual home users in no need of additional horsepower to run CPU-intensive tasks or programs. Sony VAIO VGN-P530CH/R Battery The CPU will idle at 800 MHz for both cores if on the Power Saver profile or Balanced profile. For more information and benchmarks on the Core i3-3227U CPU, see our dedicated page here.

For RAM, every T14 model comes with 4 GB of fixed single-channel DDR3-1600 MHz onboard memory. One SODIMM slot is available as an expansion, which is easily accessible from underneath. Sony VAIO VGN-P530H/G Battery Other motherboard components, however, require a more extensive teardown of the notebook and are not intended to be tampered with by end-users. The battery module is fortunately user-removable, but it must be unscrewed from the base with a coin or screwdriver as opposed to having a more typical snap-and-lock function.

DPC Latency Checker returns no recurring high latency peaks even with wireless radios active. Its compatibility with Windows 8 is still an issue, and so the results should be taken with a grain of salt. adapter VAIO VGN-P530H/Q Note that CPU-Z (version 1.64.0) incorrectly identifies the CPU as a Core i7-3517U, which is a much more powerful processor than the Core i3 in this review.

Processor
CPU-oriented benchmarks place the T14 slightly below the ThinkPad Edge E130 in our database, which also houses the same i3-3227U CPU. For example, CineBench scores from the Lenovo model edges out the Sony T14 in all instances with the largest percent difference in CineBench R11.5 64-Bit (0.79 vs. 0.68 points on the Sony). Sony VAIO VGN-P530H/R Battery Otherwise, the discrepancy in the CPU performances between the two models is essentially negligible as the i3-3227U still provides a comparable level of CPU performance as an AMD A8-4500M or AMD A10-4600M APU. Compared to an Intel CPU, the i3-3227U is most comparable to the ULV Sandy Bridge i5-2467M, though the latter still comes out on top in single-core benchmarks like Super Pi due to its Turbo Boost benefits.

System Performance
Sony VAIO VGN-P588E/Q charger System performance is average or even slightly below for users who are accustomed to lightning SSD speeds. Since the SSD provides little boosting benefits, cold booting is a bit slow (about 13 seconds) and navigation on Windows 8 is far from instantaneous.

We ran four consecutive iterations of PCMark 7 to confirm that the secondary SSD provides minimal boost in performance. Final scores should rise notably after each repetition should a hybrid HDD/SSD drive be present. Sony VAIO VGN-P588E/R Battery The final score peaks at about 2800 points, which is still below some competitors like the Acer M5-481PT (4052 points), but only marginally better than the HDD-only Satellite P845T (2657 points). Subjectively, it is difficult to feel on the T14 the performance gains that the hybrid drive would offer over a dedicated HDD system in everyday tasks.

Storage Devices
The model in review houses a SATA II 500 GB 5400 RPM drive from Seagate paired with a SATA II 24 GB AXM13S2 SSD from ADATA. The secondary SSD is provided for caching purposes, so it contains no drive letter or freely available drive space by default. Sony VAIO VGN-P598E/Q Battery

The Seagate HDD delivers mediocre performance for a 5400 RPM drive. According to HD Tune, the average transfer rate of 77.5 MB/s is faster than the Satellite P845T (69.2 MB/s), but slower than the Acer M5-481PT (88 MB/s), both of which sport 5400 RPM drives. In comparison, 7200 RPM drives like the one in HP Envy 15 can easily reach 90 MB/s or higher. Sony VAIO VGN-P610/Q Battery There are no official configuration options for 7200 RPM drives, though Sony does offer 256 GB or 512 GB SSD options for an additional $170 and $805, respectively. See here for our growing list of HDD/SSD performance benchmarks.

Gaming Performance
The integrated HD 4000 has been extensively tested on Notebookcheck and has proven to be adequate for most of today's games on low resolution settings. However, some of the more recent titles like Tomb Raider are only playable on minimum settings, which will impact much of the gameplay experience. Less demanding games like Starcraft 2, League of Legends or DOTA 2 should play very well on the integrated GPU. Sony VAIO VGN-P610/R Battery

For more information and benchmarks on the Intel HD 4000 GPU, see our review here.

System Noise
With a measured fan noise of almost 35 dB(A) when the system is idling, the T14 is always audible no matter the workload. This is louder than both the Satellite P845T and Acer M5-581PT where the 31 to 32 dB(A) range can be considered nearly silent. Fortunately, typical ambient noises and music playback will be enough to drown out the minimum fan noise of the T14. Sony VAIO VGN-P61S Battery In fact, it will actually take quite a bit of processing load to bump fan speeds considerably higher than its base 35 dB(A), so that may be considered a benefit to having the slightly louder minimum noise level. Playing video, for example, did not result in increased fan noise during our time with the Vaio.

Medium to high loads will correlate to faster RPMs measuring about 40 and 45 dB(A), respectively. The increase in fan noise is expected, but the 40 dB(A) range or greater is quite noisy in most situations and is hard to ignore. Sony VAIO VGN-P688E/G Battery This was experienced during heavy multi-tasking with active videos or gameplay and will almost never be heard during day-to-day browsing use. The low to mid 40 dB(A) range is also typical of ultrathin notebooks like the Samsung Series 9 900X4B or MacBook Air 13, so the fan noise of the T14 is of no surprise in this regard.

The constant fan noise and low-power ULV IVB core may have attributed to the overall low surface temperatures when under load. Idling temperatures stay well under 30 degrees C on average on both the top and bottom sides. A hot spot can still be observed, but it is nowhere near as noticeable as on other ultrathins. charger VAIO VGN-P688E/N

Under maximum load for over an hour, average surface temperatures only rises by a few degrees. The notebook is still warm to the touch, but it is impressive that even the hot spot was only about 5 degrees hotter than its idling state in our measurements. Most Ultrabooks reach a much warmer 40 degrees C or higher, albeit they do come in thinner form factors with faster processors and performance than the system in review.Sony VAIO VGN-P688E/Q Battery Nonetheless, the comparatively low surface temperatures of the T14 are commendable.

We subject the T14 to processing stress with monitoring tools (CPU-Z, GPU-Z, and HWiNFO) active in order to observe any potential throttling issues. With Prime95 active, both CPU cores were able to operate at their maximum 1900 MHz clock rate without any drops or problems. Similarly, the GPU jumped form 350 MHz to a constant 1000 MHz when FurMark was active. Sony VAIO VGN-P688E/R Battery CPU temperature more or less peaked at about 60 degrees C during this period.

When both Prime95 and FurMark were active simultaneously, the GPU was seen fluctuating in the 900 to 1000 MHz range while the CPU remained at 1900 MHz. CPU temperature did rise to over 70 degrees C, though no throttling or stability issues were observed and a post 3DMark 06 run returned no noteworthy reductions in final scores.

adapter VAIO VGN-P698E/Q adapter Running on batteries will reduce GPU performance significantly while CPU performance remains intact. Running 3DMark 06 on batteries, for example, will return a similar CPU score (2377 points), but the overall score decreases from 3602 points on AC power to just 2102 points. According to GPU-Z, GPU clock remains at 350 MHz until the AC adapter is connected.

Sony VAIO VGN-P699E/Q Battery The two small speaker grilles are located directly above the keyboard and are only a few inches apart compared to other notebooks where the speakers are usually much more separated. Sound quality is average as it suffers from the "tinny and hollow" qualities normally associated with tiny speakers. Music is generally more higher-pitched and bass is poorly represented. On the bright side, quality does not degrade on higher volume settings, but external 3.5 mm solutions are definitely recommended for longer sessions. charger VAIO VGN-P70H/G

Battery Life

The T14 uses a lightweight removable Li-Polymer battery rated at 43 Whr and 3760 mAh. The capacity is on the small side compared to other 14-inch notebooks like the Satellite P845T (48 Whr), ThinkPad X1 Carbon (45 Whr), IdeaPad U410 (44 Whr), and even Sony's own Vaio E14 (59 Whr). A few smaller 13.3-inch notebooks, such as the Yoga 13 (54.7 Whr) and Satellite L830 (48 Whr), have larger capacity batteries still. Sony VAIO VGN-P70H/R Battery

Maximum runtime was assessed with Battery Eater, first by using its Reader's Test at minimum screen brightness on the Power Saver profile for maximum battery life. We recorded a runtime of over 7 hours before automatic shutdown. On the other end of the spectrum, minimum battery life was recorded to be about 1.5 hours by using the Battery Eater Classic Test on the High Performance profile at maximum screen brightness. Sony VAIO VGN-P720DN Battery

Our more realistic WLAN test puts the screen at 150 cd/m2 brightness (setting 10/10) while looping our continuous script to simulate typical browsing conditions. Under these settings, the notebook shutdown after about 4 hours.

Users can expect 4 to 5 hours of continuous use from the T14, which is standard amongst many 14-inch notebooks. A few can deliver about 1 to 2 hours of more runtime, such as the X1 Carbon Touch or Acer M5-581PT, but the T14 is thankfully not as short-lived as say the Satellite L830, which averaged just 3 hours in the same WLAN test. If users can accept lower brightness settings, squeezing out an extra hour from the T14 should be within reach. Sony VAIO VGN-P720K/Q Battery

Like its bigger brother the T15, the Vaio T14 leaves a great impression with regards to its chassis and design for the price. Performance is steady when under load and the low surface temperature deserves some praise, especially when compared to other thinner Ultrabooks. The touchscreen, however, continues to feel like an added novelty and should certainly not be a dealmaker in purchasing the T14 as its practicality is hard to warrant on a standard notebook. Sony VAIO VGN-P720K/R Battery Those looking for a true budget tablet/notebook hybrid may want to consider the ThinkPad Twist or IdeaPad Yoga, both of which now start at about the same price as the $700 T14.

In addition, it is becoming much more difficult to justify a Windows 8 machine running on a 5400 RPM HDD, specifically now that SSD prices have been dropping steadily. The benefits from a hybrid HDD/SSD setup are barely tangible during everyday tasks on the T14. Sony VAIO VGN-P788K/G Battery

A few notable hardware faults also hold back the Vaio. The soft keyboard and wobbly hinges may take some time to get used to, and the lack of an easy access to the HDD/SSD may bother some users who may want to upgrade the slow 5400 RPM drive to a full-fledged aftermarket SSD. Screen brightness in particular could have been much higher as we found the maximum to be average for typical indoor use and below average for outdoor use. Sony VAIO VGN-P788K/N Battery

The T14 draws similar conclusions to the Satellite P845T in that users can get a much better experience from a last generation Ultrabook with a dedicated SSD like the Asus Zenbook UX31E or Samsung Series 9 900X3B for the price. As long as buyers are willing to forego the touchscreen capabilities, then a thinner, lighter, and faster Ultrabook alternative will not be out of reach.

Posted by: luckystar at 03:33 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Review Toshiba Tecra R950-192 Notebook and battery life

Those who are looking for a high-performance business notebook often turn directly to well-known brands like HP and Lenovo. But there are alternatives: Other manufacturers have interesting professional devices in their portfolio as well.Dell 312-1387 312-1390 Battery

Toshiba for example. Their Tecra series has been established in this segment for years and ranks among the most serious competitors to such prestigious top dogs as the ThinkPad or the ProBook series.

Today we want to have a closer look at the current 15-inch-model Tecra R950. The price starts at 800 Euros (~$1049) and quickly cracks the 1,600 Euros (~$209 mark, depending on the equipment. Dell 312-1392 Battery Our test device R950-192 (nearly 1,500 Euros/~$1967) relies on a fast Intel Core i7-3540M, eight GB RAM and a 320-GB-HDD (SSD is available for a surcharge). To replace the weak graphics processor, Toshiba has also built in a dedicated Radeon HD 7570M with GDDR5-memory, which drives a matte WXGA++-display with 1600x900 pixels. Several safety features, as the integrated UMTS-module as well as the Professional version of Windows 7 (Windows 8 is enclosed as well) do underline the focus on business clients for this notebook. Dell 312-1433 49VTP adapter

In the following review we will compare the R950 to, among others, the Lenovo ThinkPad T530, the Dell Latitude E6530 and the HP ProBook 6570b. Is our candidate up for the challenge?

Matte surfaces, dark colors: The optics of the Tecra R950 corresponds to the typical subtle standard of a professional notebook. Dell 4DMNG Battery Following the principle of "form follows function", the focus of the design clearly follows the rule of ergonomics and practical use. According to the manufacturer, the case, which is coated with fine grooves and made of high-strength artificial resin, also shines with exceptional durability – a promise, which we surely cannot test in this review.

Dell 4WY7C 68DTP Battery Directly compared to its competitors, the R950 surprises with a relatively slim case. A maximum thickness of 25.4 millimeters (1 inch) and a weight of nearly 2.5 kilograms (~5.5 pounds) let the Tecra appear significantly more delicate than an EliteBook 8570w (35 millimeters, 3.25 kilograms/~1.4 inches, ~7.7 pounds), for example. However, it needs to be mentioned that HP also offers this workstation model with Quad-Core-CPUs and by far stronger graphics cards – but the ProBook 6570b is also noticeably heavier with its 2.8 kilograms (~6.2 pounds). Dell 6HY59 Battery

But what effects does the slim design have on its stability? The base unit turns out to be quite sturdy, though there is still potential for improvement. Under local pressure the chassis slightly gives in above the DVD drive and around the keyboard – this is not the case for some of the competitors. The display, which is held in its place by two tight and extremely precise metal hinges, could have also withstood our deformation tests a little bit better. Dell 6K73M 6KP1N Battery

In terms of workmanship, there is not much to criticize. Nothing rattles or wiggles, all material transitions were well processed and sharp edges rounded thoroughly – however, this should be expected in a notebook for nearly 1,500 Euros (~$1967). Altogether, the Tecra R950 has earned a good but not very good overall grade in this discipline.

Dell 6XH00 Battery For the connection of external devices, the notebook was fitted with four USB-ports, which come with a few special features. Two of those ports already support the fast USB-3.0-standard and another one was combined with an eSATA-interface for the connection of external hard-drives. Via Sleep-and-Charge, USB-devices can also be charged when the notebook is turned off, for example to charge a smartphone overnight. Dell 8RT13 8TT5W adapter

In addition to an analog VGA-output, the R950 comes with a modern DisplayPort, which allows the connection of high-resolution external monitors. On the other hand, the user has to cope without HDMI, or use an adapter or a docking-station, which costs about 200 Euros (~$262). The docking-station is plugged into the bottom of the notebook and provides a big range of various additional interfaces. Dell 9K1VP Battery

On the one hand, the layout chosen by Toshiba is well suited for right- as well as left-handers (USB-ports on both sides of the case); on the other hand, it has some other weaknesses. The distance between the interfaces is slightly too small. Additionally, we would have preferred to have the display-outputs and the LAN port at the back.

Communication
Dell DJ9W6 FW1MN Battery The extensive communications equipment of the Tecra R950 leaves nothing to be desired. First off the WLAN-adapter: The Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 supports dual band operation in 2.4- and 5-GHz-networks as well as the common radio standards 802.11a/b/g/n. Two antennas (2x2 Dual-Stream) ensure a steady reception even under difficult conditions and allow gross transmission rates at a maximum of 300 Mbit/s. In our practical test, the radio communication impressed with an outstanding range and high speed – provided the corresponding router also supports MIMO. Dell G019Y Battery In addition to a number of features like Wireless Display, the current Bluetooth version 4.0 is at the user's disposal.

A UMTS/HSPA(+)-module from Ericsson was built-in for mobile internet access. According to Toshiba, the H5321gw allows a download-/upload-rate of up to 7.2/2.0 Mbit/s (according to Ericsson even 21/5.76 Mbit/s) and also masters positioning via GPS-Signal. The brand-new mobile radio technology LTE was not installed.

Dell G35K4 MK1R0 Battery The 1.0-Megapixel-webcam, which is fitted into the display frame, records pictures and videos with a resolution of up to 1280x800 pixels. To achieve really smooth frame rates though, the resolution needs to be changed to 640x480 pixels or less, which is still suitable for communication purposes. Worthy of note is the low picture noise and the excellent speech quality of the integrated microphone. adapter Dell MR90Y

Security
The protection of sensitive corporate data has a top priority for a business notebook. For this reason, Toshiba has equipped the laptop with comprehensive safety features. This includes BIOS with support for Computrace and Intel's anti-theft-technology (data deletion and device tracking after theft), a fingerprint scanner, a SmartCard-reader and a so-called Trusted Platform Module (TPM). For more details about those technologies, we have written a separate extra article for you. Dell N121Y PVJ7J Battery

Accessories
Besides the notebook with its power adapter and battery, Toshiba encloses some brochures and an installation disk for Windows 8 Pro. However, the preinstalled operating system is Windows 7 Professional – this leaves it up to the user to decide which version he prefers.

The accompanying software package is particularly generous. More than 700 MB of tools, administrative tools and other little helpers can be found on the hard-drive; including a shock sensor utility, a wireless- and GPS-manager and recovery software. adapter Dell T1G4M It remains to be seen if all these applications are really needed. At least annoying adware was left out.

Maintenance
At the bottom of the notebook, the user finds three maintenance covers, which allow the exchange of the most important components. Sadly, all available slots are occupied ex-factory, which only allows an installation of an SSD after the removal of the hard-drive. To clean the fans and the heat sink, the case needs to be taken apart.

Warranty
The purchase price includes a 2-year manufacturer's warranty including Bring-In-service, which can be extended for a relatively small price. Dell V1YJ7 V8VNT Battery An extension for a total of 3 years costs about 60 Euros (~$79), for 4 years 100 Euros (~$131). Furthermore, Toshiba guarantees the following: In case of defect during the first year, the notebook does not only get repaired, but the customer is reimbursed with the full purchase price ("Toshiba Double guarantee").

Keyboard
The integrated Chiclet-keyboard scores with an additional numeric keypad and is also splash proof; backlight, like some ThinkPads and EliteBooks have, is missing, though. For the layout, the manufacturer was guided by the common standards and placed the 18 x 18 mm (~0.7 x 0.7 inches) letters where the user expects to find them. Dell VR7HM Battery The arrow and function keys are a bit smaller, which is not bothersome in everyday usage.

Despite an overall consistent typing feeling, the keyboard fails to keep up with the best models on the market in our practical test. The keystroke is relatively soft and combined with a short stroke distance– this may be a matter of taste, but a slightly tighter layout would deliver more feedback on each keystroke. adapter Dell W6XNM X29KD On the other hand, we liked the excellent stability and the minimal noise level even when typing quickly.

Touchpad and Trackpoint
The 8.5 x 4.9 cm (~3.4 x 1.9 inches) touchpad has a rubberized surface whose small frictional resistance allows an exact navigation of the cursor. All input commands are processed quickly and can be done via multi-touch-gestures (pinch-to-zoom, scrolling with two fingers) if desired. The mouse buttons were replaced by two shiny metallic buttons whose tight pressure point leaves a very good impression of quality. Dell XCMRD Battery

Alternatively, the user can rely on Trackpoint, also known as Toshiba's "AccuPoint". Precision and responding qualities are excellent. The little joystick turned out a little bit too tiny, though. With a little practice, Trackpoint proves to be a practical extra because the necessary finger movements were kept to a minimum. The associated buttons work as firmly and reliable as the ones of the touchpad. Dell XRDW2 Battery

Display

The 15.6-inch anti-glare display of the Tecra R950 is offered with a resolution of 1366x768 as well as 1600x900 pixels; our test device had the higher resolution WXGA++-version. The user soon appreciates the additional pixels, especially when using Excel charts or multitasking more often. Simultaneously the resulting pixel density of 118 dpi guarantees a still comfortable font size. Dell YGMTN Battery

Toshiba promotes the display as "high-brightness-display", thus promising a strong backlight. Indeed: With its wide control range of 19 to 260 cd/m² (eight stages), the luminance can be perfectly adjusted to various surrounding conditions. Only a few competitors like the Dell Latitude E6530 (up to 278 cd/m²) offer a higher luminance. Nevertheless, there are ultrabooks that reach over 300 cd/m² - such values would have been desirable for the Tecra as well. Dell 0MF69 Battery

The measurement of black value (1.99 cd/m²) and contrast (127:1) was disappointing, though. Dark parts of an image always seem a bit grayish, which causes a colorless and pale image. The reason behind it is, that Toshiba chose to produce their own TN-Panel (TOS5092), which is far behind competing displays as far as quality is concerned (LG-Philips (ProBook 6570b) or AUO (ThinkPad T530)). Dell 24DRM Battery Since the Tecra R950 is surely no multimedia- or gaming-laptop, this flaw can be ignored.

First, we examined the color display in delivery condition and afterwards had a look at the results after calibration. It quickly turns out that this notebook is not meant for professional photographers or graphic designers: Only 51% of the important sRGB color space is covered and the color deviation was relatively strong (Delta E up to 15, 9 when calibrated). Dell 312-1387 Battery The display of grayscales only works slightly better and only comes close to the ideal when previously calibrated (Delta E 12, calibrated 1.4).

The combination of an anti-glare display surface and high maximum brightness – which is held steadily when running on battery power – allows using the R950 outdoors. Annoying reflections are very rare and often so weak that they do not affect the user. The display has only to surrender under direct sunlight – a problem that could only be reduced by an even stronger backlight. Dell 312-1390 Battery

Viewing angles Toshiba Tecra R950-192

Many displays based on TN-technology struggle with picture quality at large image angles. The display of our test object is no exception – on the contrary: Especially vertically, the screen falsifies the image quickly, which causes a constant need for readjustment of the display hinges. In comparison to other TN-panels, the display of the R950 performs below average. adapter Dell 312-1392

Since the presentation of the new Haswell-processors is expected for June, thus ending the Ivy-Bridge-era, Intel has injected new life into its current CPU-platform with a series of so-called "speed-bumps". The Core i7-3540M represents the new top model of the dual-core-class succeeding the i7-3520M processor.

Dell 312-1433 Battery The clock rate of 3.0 GHz and the turbo-settings of 3.5 (2 cores) and 3.7 GHz (one core) do not give reason to expect a big performance leap in comparison to the 100 MHz slower predecessors. Owing to the meanwhile fully developed 22-nanometer assembly, Intel managed to keep the TDP at 35 Watts and was not forced to make substantial changes. Also on board are features like Hyperthreading-technology, for a better multi-threading-performance and a four MB L3-Cache.

Dell 49VTP Battery Like all mobile spin-offs of the Ivy-Bridge-series, the Core i7-3540M has a DirectX-11 capable graphics card, which is not used in the Toshiba Tecra R950-192, though. Instead of the HD Graphics 4000, a dedicated Radeon HD 7570M comes into use for the image calculation and is constantly active during 2D- and 3D-mode. Pity – a flexible graphics switching via AMD's Enduro-technology could have lowered the power consumption during idle and increased the battery run time.

Dell 4DMNG charger Depending on the configuration, the R950 is available with SSDs or HDDs of varying capacity. Our test candidate has a common 320 GB hard-drive, which makes it 200 Euros (~$262) cheaper than its 256 GB flash memory equivalent. Furthermore, eight GB DDR3-RAM were built in, in dual-channel-mode (2x 4 GB DDR-1600).

Processor
Owing to the extreme high (turbo) clock speed of up to 3.7 GHz, the i7-3540M shows an excellent single-thread performance. Dell 4WY7C Battery In the respective test of the Cinebench R11.5 (64-bit) the CPU scored 1.52 points, which is equal to the quad-core model i7-3740QM. When all available threads are being used, the 3540M falls about 50% behind at 3.49 points. As expected, we can only detect a marginal performance increase compared to its predecessor Core i7-3520M – not much, but still enough to take the throne as the fastest dual-core processor. Fortunately, the performance is not throttled when running on battery. Dell 68DTP Battery

Toshiba equipped the R950 with a 320 GB hard-drive from its own company. The MK3261GSYG (2.5 inches, 9.5 millimeters height) runs at 7200 rpm and has a 16 MB cache. The result is quite impressive: With its average sequential transfer rate of 93.4 MB/s, the hard-drive belongs to the fastest of the currently available ones. The access time, which profits from the fast speed of rotation, is 16.7 milliseconds, according to HD Tune. Dell 6HY59 Battery

System Performance
According to its good results for the processor and data medium, the Tecra can also score when it comes to system benchmarks of the PCMark-series. With 8,003 points in the PCMark Vantage as well as 2,201 points in the PCMark 7, our candidate is at the same performance level as its similarly equipped competitors like the HP ProBook 6570b or the Lenovo ThinkPad T530. Dell 6K73M Battery The more expensive SSD-alternative should score even higher – those wanting to install a flash memory themselves find the necessary information further up in the section "Maintenance".

In everyday use, the R950 works inconspicuously and efficiently. Simple office software does not present itself as a problem and the laptop has enough power reserves for more demanding software like simulation- or CAD-software (see following chapter). Considering this computational power the user should only rarely long for a faster quad-core processor. Dell 6KP1N Battery

The Radeon HD 7570M is based on one of the older 40 nanometer chips, which has been on the market for over two years and is also used for some of the models of the HD-6000 series. By now, the computation power of the 400 VLIW5-shader units is ranking at the low end but still exceeds the integrated HD Graphics 4000 by a small margin. Dell 6XH00 Battery Another reason for the low performance is that Toshiba clocks the graphics card at 500 MHz for the core and 600 MHz for the one GB GDDR5-memory, which is slightly lower than allowed by AMD. We could only reach a score of 901 points at the performance preset of the 3DMark 11.

As the results of the SPECviewperf-11 benchmarks prove, the HD 7570M is at least conditionally suitable for professional CAD-applications. Those regularly using these kinds of programs should instead choose a FirePro- (AMD) or Quadro-card (Nvidia) with their specially optimized drivers. Dell 8RT13 Battery The GPU can still be used for general computations via OpenCL-interface – a feature that is also available for the slower HD 4000. In conclusion, we would like to point out that the graphics driver does not support a resolution of 1366x768 pixels ex-factory; we explain how to add it manually here.

Although gaming is not one of the main applications of this laptop, we would still like to take a look at the performance for some of the current titles. This confirms what we had mentioned earlier: Even though the Radeon HD 7570M is slightly faster than the HD Graphics 4000 is, it can only reach acceptable frame rates at low settings. Dell 8TT5W Battery Very complex games like Battlefield 3 or Crysis 3 do not even reach the important 30 fps mark at minimal detail settings.

System Noise
Due to the consistently activated fan and the quietly humming hard-drive, the Tecra is never completely silent even during idle. A noise level of 31.8 dB(A) is not annoying but is quite noticeable in quiet surroundings. The similar sister model tested with an SSD-drive and integrated graphics card (R950-191) performs at 29.6 dB(A) and is clearly quieter. Dell 9K1VP Battery

The system noise rises drastically under heavy use. The notebooks run at between 35.9 and 44.2 dB(A) in the 3DMark 06 test and peaks at a noisy 49.3 dB(A) during the stress test. The relatively high-frequency characteristic of the fan noise quickly gnaws on the user's nerves during longer periods of time under full load. This problem is mainly due to its slim design – more massive business competitors like the ThinkPad T530 present themselves a lot better here. Dell DJ9W6 Battery

The heat generation of the device stays low for common use: During idle, we measure an average of 30 °C (86 °F) at the top and bottom. This allows usage on the thighs without restrictions. Under full load, the temperature jumps up to 40 °C (104 °F) around the air outlet while most parts of the case stay at slightly higher values compared to idle.

Toshiba seems to be able to handle the temperature management of the notebook – but does this also apply to the hardware inside? Dell FW1MN Battery After stressing the processor for one hour with Prime95 and FurMark it levels off at an uncritical level of 82 °C (179.6 °F), but only clocks at the base frequency of 3.0 GHz. The theoretically possible Turbo Boost of 3.5 GHz can only do his work for a few minutes at the beginning of the stress test; this behavior cannot be observed with real applications, though. The graphics card heats up to 66 °C (150.8 °F) and constantly keeps its maximum clock rate of 500/600 MHz (core/memory). Dell G019Y Battery

Speakers
The integrated stereo loudspeakers, situated at the top of the keyboard, were primarily designed for office purposes. The highly treble-prone sound and the limited volume reserves limit the joy of watching a movie or listening to music drastically. In those cases the user should go back to an external sound system (connection possible via DisplayPort or 3.5-millimeter jack). However, the small speakers fulfill the demands for system sounds or VoIP-applications. Dell G35K4 Battery

Energy Consumption
As mentioned before, Toshiba did not implement AMD's Enduro-technology for automatic graphics switching. Thus causing the consumption during idle to be rather high at 12.3 to 17.6 Watts. This results in less battery run time – a problem that is already well known from the HP ProBook 6570b. For comparison: The Tecra R950-191 with an integrated graphics solution is satisfied with 8.2 to 12.6 Watts. Dell MK1R0 Battery

Along with the dedicated graphics card, the high clocking processor is especially responsible for the high power consumption under full load. Since the maximum consumption lies between 41.2 and 75.3 Watts – the latter value is only reached during the unrealistic stress test – the 75-Watt power supply is correctly dimensioned.

Battery Runtime
Dell N121Y Battery Although Toshiba fitted a 66-Wh-battery into the notebook to counteract the big power consumption, the runtime of the laptop is rather short especially under small load. The R950-192 runs only for 5 hours and 25 minutes in the Battery Eater Reader's test (minimal brightness, energy-saving mode, WLAN off) – the more energy-efficient sister model is running 12.5 hours, more than twice as long without the dedicated graphics card. Dell PVJ7J Battery

Our practical WLAN-test (about 150 cd/m² brightness) shows that the user can browse and work for nearly 4 hours before it runs out of battery. Even though this is significantly better than the HP ProBook 6570b with its 2.5 hours, it still is far behind the values of other competitors with graphics switching.

As expected, the Battery Eater Classic test (maximum brightness, high performance, WLAN on), which puts stress on the processor as well as the graphics card, achieves the shortest runtime. Dell T1G4M Battery The notebook needs to be reconnected to the socket after 1 hour and 22 minutes at the latest where the battery is charged within about 3.5 hours.

What is essential for a good business notebook? Features like reliability and quality but also low emission rates are probably top priorities for the buyer. The Toshiba Tecra R950-192 shows promising approaches in those disciplines but lacks when it comes to the final touch. Dell V1YJ7 Battery

This can be observed for the slim and carefully processed case, which cannot keep up with the best laptops of its class in terms of stability, though. The connectivity and input devices of the laptop do also perform well but without being tremendously better in comparison to its competition.

One of the biggest advantages of the R950 is its outstanding application performance, owing to the fast hard-drive and the higher-clocked i7-processor. Dell V8VNT Battery Sadly, the cooling system barely copes with the waste heat of the CPU and GPU causing the background noise to rise strongly, especially under full load. Those able to take a pass on a few percentage points of performance should instead choose a model with i5-core and integrated graphics card. The same advice goes for the battery runtime, which suffers greatly because of the missing graphics switching. Dell VR7HM Battery Thanks to its anti-glare and high-brightness display, its integrated UMTS and low weight the notebook commends itself as a mobile companion for everyday business life.

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Review Acer Iconia B1-A71 Tablet and battery life
The tablet market is all set to explode if it still hasn't. Hardly a day passes where a new model is not announced. Most of the action in at the low end of the tablet where many manufacturers are trying to make money by selling large quantities of cheap tablets. Acer TravelMate 290 Battery We have had a large number of these cheap tablets hit our office coming at unheard prices of 130 Euros to 150 Euros (~$175 to $200). However, almost none of the devices came from well-known brands. The tablets were from companies like Trekstor, Pearl, Prestigo and cmx. Acer is the first big name that is trying its hand at making an ultra-cheap tablet. The PR coming out of Acer for the tablet mentions it to be light, handy and powerful. Acer TravelMate 290D Battery The biggest feature of the tablet is the excellent price of 120 Euros (~$160) which makes it an extremely attractive product if the other touted features are as good as what Acer makes them out to be. We have not tested a good cheap tablet and we find ourselves to be extremely curious about this offering.

The technical specifications sound promising, at least in the beginning. The 7-inch tablet is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU with Cortex A9 cores from MediaTek, supported by a PowerVR SX531 graphics chip from Imagination. Acer TravelMate 290E Battery Both are certainly not the most powerful components, but they aren't bottom of the barrel either. The working memory is 512 MB and the 8 GB internal memory can be expanded with a microSD card. Google's Nexus 7, which happens to this tablet's main rival, does not provide this option. The Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Tab 7.7 made the 7-inch form factor very popular. But the caveat is the resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels which is pretty low compared to the other (more expensive) tablets. Acer promises 70 degree viewing angle stability from every direction. Acer TravelMate 290ELC Battery To date, Acer's Iconia B1 is available in a Wi-Fi only version. Whether a 3G version will follow is not yet certain.

Acer's Iconia B1 is not one of the smallest 7-inch tablets out there, with dimensions of 197.4 and 128.5 millimeters. It is thicker than most other tablets at 11.3 mm. BUt the tablet is extremely light at only 320 g that makes it very comfortable to hold.

It is very obvious that Acer made several cut-backs in its choice of materials for construction and the build quality to keep the price of the product down. With exception of the screen panel, the entire device is made of cheap plastic which also affects the tablet's stability. Acer TravelMate 290ELCi Battery Light pressure is all that is needed to deform the body of the tablet (with ripples on the screen when the back is pressed in). This is also accompanied by creaking noises that would scare any user. The screen can be pushed in at the edges that creates a gaping space between the panel and the bezel. Acer's Iconia B1 build quality cannot be compared to the build quality of devices like Google's Nexus 7 and the Prestigio MultiPad 7.0. Acer TravelMate 290ELM Battery

Although the manufacturer dubs the color "Midnight Black", the tablet is completely framed by a blue border. The tablet looks like a toy and would most probably be used for the entertainment of kids. The price is low enough to make it an impulse buy for many customers.

Display

7 inches is the magic number for a portable device that can be considered to make a decent tablet. Acer TravelMate 290ELMi Battery The leaders Apple and Google paved the way with their iPad Mini and Nexus 7 tablets for the hype around this device category, which are both genuine premium tablets within different price ranges. Google's Nexus 7 excels with its HD resolution despite the low price. The iPad cannot compete with that and Acer's Iconia B1-A71 remains discreetly in the background with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. This WSVGA resolution leads to a rather unusual aspect ratio of 17:10. Acer TravelMate 290EXC Battery The pixel density is merely 170 ppi. For comparison: The Google Nexus 7 achieves a density of 216 ppi, which is good 27 percent higher. Remarkably, the 162 ppi of Apple's iPad Mini does not come close to the Acer although it is three times as expensive.

Not as remarkable, though positive, is the 7-inch screen's brightness. We ascertained a maximum brightness of 200 cd/m² in the center, which is not really a good number for a tablet. However, the uneven illumination of just 68 percent has much more significance. Acer TravelMate 290EXCi Battery The gauge recorded just 135 cd/m² in the upper left corner. This difference is visible with the naked eye. On the other hand, the low black value of 0.27 cd/m² appealed to us and results in a decent contrast of 741:1 despite the low brightness.

Performance

The buyer cannot expect a high-performance machine for 120 Euros. However, when drawing parallels to the automotive sector, the buyer must get a sufficiently powerful vehicle that can deal with normal, everyday requirements in all situations even in the entry-level sector. Acer TravelMate 290LC Battery That should not be different for tablets. Our experience however has taught us the opposite many a time.

Acer's Iconia Tab B1 makes a reasonable impression on paper. The system-on-a-chip (SoC) dubbed MediaTek MTK 8317T fuses a dual-core processor with Cortex A9 cores and a single-core GPU from Imagination called the PowerVR SGX531. The processor cores are clocked at 1.2 GHz each and are technically modern. Acer TravelMate 290LCi Battery Although there are stronger Cortex cores, the A9 is still built into high-end tablets. But, the single-core graphics chip is no longer relevant when compared to the latest chips.

With 833 points in the cross-platform benchmark GeekBench 2, the Acer Iconia B1 places itself in the lower section of the tablets tested to date by notebookcheck.com. This is quite decent. It even marginally outperforms the Apple iPad Mini and places itself ahead of other entry-level tablets like the Braun B-Tab 711. AnTuTu v3 confirmed this result in the overall score. Acer TravelMate 290LMi Battery AnTuTu's benchmarks also generally achieved the same results in the CPU, GPU and RAM parts.

An interesting aspect in the performance assessment is also the internal memory's performance. We used AndroBench 3 to test this. The B1 also looked quite impressive here, although we have doubts about the very high sequential read score. In any event, Acer has not made excessive cutbacks in the quality of the internal memory. adapter TravelMate 290XCi

Next we looked at the graphics performance. For this, it had to pass through AnTuTu's 3DRating and GLBenchmark 2.5.1. Regrettably, only the on-screen test worked with the tablet's native resolution in the latter. The off-screen test using the native resolution would be more comparable. The achieved 2.5 fps nevertheless clearly show that the graphics chip is low-end. AnTuTu's test also confirmed this. Acer TravelMate 290Xi Battery

The Acer Iconia B1 can be used for routine tasks like running Paint or Internet browsing rather than a gaming machine. We checked the tablet's performance in this category with browser-based tests. One of the best known benchmarks is Sunspider version 0.9.1 Java-script test. The B1 scored remarkably well here. With just 1395 milliseconds, it even outperforms much stronger devices like the Google Nexus 7. Acer TravelMate 290XMi Battery Other low-budget tablets like the Braun B-Tab 711 are completely beaten. The benchmarks Peacekeeper and Google v8 recorded the same results. Acer's tablet also impresses with above-average performance here and proves that Internet surfing is its purpose. However, it did not score quite as well in Browsermark 2. Nevertheless, its browser performance is generally good. And considering the price, there is absolutely nothing to complain about. Acer TravelMate 290XVi Battery

Games

We already mentioned about the installed graphics solution in the course of this review. Acer's Iconia B1 with the PowerVr SGX531 is certainly not a gaming tablet. Nevertheless, the performance is sufficient for most games. Popular games like Angry Birds and Air Attack HD are no problem for the tablet. adapter Acer TravelMate 291 Even more demanding racing simulations like Raging Thunder 2 and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit ran smoothly for the most part. The third person shooter ShadowGun was also playable. However, we can verify that the GPU is limited in its ability to play more modern titles. We can certainly say that future titles designed for tablets having SOCs based on the 28 nm process would be unplayable. Acer TravelMate 291LCi adapter

Temperature

Acer's Iconia B1 definitely does not have thermal problems. This would be due to its middling performance components compared to premium tablets. The surface temperatures were always within a tolerable range. Even hour-long loaded runs for the Stability Test did not let the temperatures exceed 38 degrees Celsius. The power supply unit also remained within an acceptable temperature range at a relatively cool 41 degrees Celsius. The temperatures remained even lower in routine use. Acer TravelMate 291LCi-G Battery The device only gets lukewarm at a few measuring points.

Power Consumption

According to Acer, a 2720 mAh lithium ion battery is installed in the tablet. The battery is one of the smaller ones in the 7-inch tablet form-factor. The power consumption in different load scenarios is crucial for the battery life though. A power consumption between 1.2 and 3.1 watts is pretty good for such a device. For comparison, the Apple iPad Mini consumes up to 5.6 watts here. Acer TravelMate 291Lmi Battery However, it also features a much brighter screen. The power consumption climbed up to 6.2 watts during load. This is still reasonable although not very economical in view of the entry-level SoC.

Battery Runtime

The comparatively low power consumption stirs hope for good battery runtimes despite the small battery. We performed three runtime tests in different load states. Acer TravelMate 291LMi-G Battery The maximum battery runtime is ascertained using server-side scripting, which is automatically opened using minimum brightness and, except for Wi-Fi, all communication modules turned off. Acer's entry-level tablet lasted for a good 12 hours in this scenario and is one of the best for a 7-inch device. Devices like the Apple iPad Mini and the Google Nexus 7, are in a league of their own. Acer TravelMate 291XCi Battery

The minimum battery runtime during full CPU and GPU load was a decent 2:51 hours. Our Wi-Fi surf test, using a brightness of 150 cd/m², is particularly important. Here, a new website is opened every 40 seconds. Acer's Iconia B1 runs for almost five and a half hours and again places itself at the top of the list with this result. However, it is far from reaching the 12 hours achieved by Apple's iPad Mini. Acer TravelMate 291XCiH Battery

Altogether, Acer's B1 scores with good battery runtimes. We have not observed this in many devices in this price range yet. The 10 watt power supply unit needed a bit over two hours to completely recharge the battery.

Kudos to Acer! It was clear right from outset of this review that the Acer Iconia B1 was not fighting for a crown in the tablet market. Nevertheless, we had very high expectations for the first "low-budget" tablet from a brand manufacturer. And Acer did not let us down. Charger Acer TravelMate 292 The B1 is the first tablet at a price of 120 Euros (RRP) that is an attractive buy. However, it was to be expected that the buyer has to make compromises in the hardware to keep the device price down.

A price of 120 Euros is pretty obvious when you look at the workmanship and choice of materials. Acer made cutbacks here, but the price has to match the hardware or Acer would struggle with the overheads. The configuration is above-average for this price range. Acer TravelMate 292ELC Battery A SoC with a dual-core processor based on the Cortex A9 is not a matter of choice, as a look at some other low-budget devices proves. The GPU is not the newest but the choice is good. 8 GB of memory is not generous, but can be inexpensively expanded using an SD card, unlike tablets from Google or Apple. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPU are also available and are the best possible for this price range. However, the GPS sensor disappointed us. Charger Acer TravelMate 292ELCi The battery runtime and user experience were decent. The device does not let its user down here.

Other points of criticism? Sure, there's plenty. The screen is based on the outdated TN technology, is not very bright and the illumination is very uneven. That could have been avoidable. The camera is, with due respect, a joke. Omitting it would have been a better solution.

All said and done, Acer fulfills its promise and provides an affordable tablet for first-time users, or as a second device or a throw-away device for the children. If these requirements fit the needs of the user, then this tablet would be a good buy. Acer TravelMate 292ELM Battery The wish for a stronger device will always be there, but for a first-time user, the device is a great learning tool.

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Review Fujitsu LifeBook A512 Notebook and battery life

The LifeBook A512 family is a series of affordable office notebooks with 15.6-inch screens. The various models are suitable for both home and business users. Fujitsu has positioned the A512 series in a notebook segment filled with countless devices from a number of manufacturers. ASUS A45VM Battery In this review we'll see if Fujitsu manages to stick out from the crowd.

For comparison we have chosen the following rivals: Dell Vostro 2520 (Intel Core i3-2328M, Intel HD Graphics 3000) and the Acer TravelMate P253-M (Intel Core i3-2328M, Intel HD Graphics 3000).

Case

The case, housing the hardware of the Fujitsu A512, is made of black plastic. The smooth and matte surfaces indicate that this is a work notebook. The black base unit is partially surrounded by a silver-gray plastic frame. Acer and Dell also utilize plastic cases and similar color schemes. ASUS A45VS Battery

The case appears well built and quite stable. It can be twisted slightly only in the area of the touchpad. Overall the base unit has a good rigidity. It can hardly be twisted when the display lid is opened. But the lid itself is another story - it can be easily bent. This leads to slight image alterations. The back of the display is more stable. Pressing it does not change the picture. The hinges hold the screen firmly in position and do not allow one-handed opening. ASUS A55 Battery

Communication
Fujitsu has equipped the A512 with an Intel WLAN module (Centrino Wireless-N 2230). It supports the 802.11 b/g/n standards. In addition, it also provides the notebook with Bluetooth 4.0 functionality. The Windows WLAN indicator shows full bars at short distance (3 meters, ~9.84 feet) and at two floors between the router and the notebook (50% transmission power). ASUS A55A Battery

The module also supports Intel's Wireless Display technology. This allows a connection between the notebook and a certified display (a TV for example) over WLAN. Displays that do not have WLAN capability can be made compatible with an adapter.

Accessories
The LifeBook comes with a good number of accessories. In addition to the usual leaflets, warranty information and the quick-start pamphlet, Fujitsu has also included three Recovery DVDs (Windows 8 Pro 64 bit, Windows 7 Professional 32 and 64 bit) and two DVDs with drivers (Windows 7 and Windows . ASUS A55D Battery

Operating System
Our test unit came with a pre-installed Windows 8 Pro (64 Bit). Users who do not want to work with Windows 8 can quickly and easily replace it with Windows 7 via the Recovery DVD. In addition, both systems can easily be installed on a new hard drive. Even Windows XP is still supported and the corresponding drivers can be downloaded from Fujitsu's website. ASUS A55DE Battery

DVD playback
Microsoft has removed the DVD playback software Windows Media Center from Windows 8. This causes no problems, because the manufacturers have equipped their devices with alternative software. But the LifeBook has no such software pre-installed on Windows 8, thus it cannot play DVDs. When we inquired about this, Fujitsu said that every customer should order the corresponding software (for example PowerDVD; about 10 Euros, ~$14) when choosing Windows 8 as the operating system. ASUS A55DR Battery

Maintenance
The LifeBook proved to be very maintenance-friendly. The large cover on the bottom of the notebook allows access to the RAM, WLAN module, fan and BIOS battery. The hard drive is located behind a separate cover. The A512 has two RAM slots. Our test unit had one 4 GB module already installed. The notebook supports up to 16 GB of RAM. The fan is completely accessible and can even be removed in order to be cleaned. ASUS A55N Battery We liked this feature very much. The hard drive can also be easily replaced. Simply remove the frame, secure the new HDD in it and then install it in the notebook.

Warranty
Fujitsu delivers the A512 with a 12-month Bring-In warranty in some countries. The owners of the P253-M receive more - Acer offers the notebook with a two-year warranty. The warranty period of the Vostro depends on where you buy it from (directly from Dell: one year; other shops: two years). The warranty of the LifeBook and its rivals can be extended. ASUS A55V Battery A three year warranty costs about 25 Euros (~$34) and an on-site warranty for the same period costs about 70 to 80 Euros (~$94 to $10 .

Performance

The Fujitsu LifeBook A512 series are affordable office notebooks for home and business users. Our test model has enough power to complete all the daily tasks required. Word processing, internet browsing and video playback (including HD content) pose no challenge for the notebook. ASUS A55VD Battery

The various models of the A512 series differ in processor, hard drive size and the operating system. Our model costs 450 to 500 Euros (~$605 to $672). The cheapest version that we could find is equipped with a Pentium B960 and a 500 GB hard drive and comes at a price below 400 Euros (~$53 . On average, this model should be about 10% to 20% slower in the various benchmarks. For comparison, we have chosen the similarly equipped notebook Acer Aspire E1-531. ASUS A55VJ Battery

Processor
Our test model has a dual-core Intel Core i3-2328M processor, which is of the Sandy Bridge generation. The CPU has a base clock frequency of 2.2 GHz. The Core i3 does not have Turbo Boost. It is practically identical to the Core i3-2330M. The only difference is that the 2328M has Intel's Small Business Advantage Tools. This includes, for example, the option to disable the USB ports. ASUS A55VM Battery

The Cinebench tests showed the same performance on both AC and battery power. The results of the rival notebooks in the CPU and GL benchmarks are all on a fairly even level. That's not surprising, since these notebooks have the same Core i3-2328M processor with the same HD Graphics 3000 GPU.

System Performance
Overall, the LifeBook works smoothly. No delays have been noticed. The PC Mark 7 score confirms this. ASUS A55VS Battery It is not surprising that the results of all three notebooks are again on the same level, as their hardware is identical.

Our notebook comes with a 320 GB Toshiba hard drive that works at 5400 RPM. This hard drive is not among the fastest of its kind. CrystalDiskMark showed a read rate of 84.34 MB/s. HD Tune delivered an average transfer rate of 62.6 MB/s. These are not particularly good scores for a 5400 RPM hard drive. Since the notebook has been designed as an office tool, capacity is not a priority. Compatible ASUS A75 Battery However, speed is far more important and a Solid State Drive would have worked well for the laptop.

Gaming Performance
The LifeBook A512 is definitely not for the demanding gamers. Latest 3D games can be played at most on low resolution and low details. The performance of the HD 3000 suffices only for undemanding games like the FIFA series. Here, stable frame rate was achieved even at the native resolution and medium settings. battery for ASUS A75A

Noise Level
In idle state the LifeBook operates silently. We measured a noise level between 30.1 and 33.5 dB. The fan sometimes turns off completely. The Vostro (30.3 to 34.1 dB) shows similar results. The TravelMate (30 to 30.8 dB) is even quieter than the rest. Under medium load (3D Mark 06) the A512 and the TravelMate produced little noise - 33.3 dB. The Vostro on the other hand is significantly louder at 41.3 dB. ASUS A75D Battery Under full load (Prime95 and Furmark simultaneously) the LifeBook and the Vostro emit 45.1 dB and 45.9 dB respectively. The TravelMate is significantly quieter at 37.9 dB.

The temperatures on the body of the A512 are in the green under any load. At no point was the case too hot and thus the notebook can be used on the lap at any time. At idle, we measured temperatures ranging from 25.8 to 32.7 °C. The Vostro and the TravelMate have very similar temperatures. Under full load (Prime95 and Furmark simultaneously) the A512 heats up to about 25 to 35 °C. ASUS A75DE Battery The Vostro and the TravelMate show slightly higher temperatures, but both of them are within the acceptable range.

During the stress test on AC power (Prime 95 and Furmark running for at least an hour) the CPU's frequency remained at maximum for about 5 minutes. Then it was throttled to 2.1 GHz. On battery power, the CPU worked at 2.1 GHz during the whole stress test. The GPU finished said test with its maximum frequency (1100 MHz). The temperature of the CPU remained at 72/73 °C. ASUS A75V Battery

Battery Life

Power Consumption
In idle state the LifeBook draws between 9.4 and 13 W. The TravelMate (7.3 to 10.8 W) is a bit more energy efficient. The Vostro (6.8 to 13.2 W) consumes, depending on the idle usage, slightly less and slightly more than the rivals. Under full load (Prime95 and Furmark), the A512 and the TravelMate are very close with consumptions of 45.6 W and 43.8 W respectively. The Vostro draws significantly more power - 52 W. ASUS A75VD Battery

Battery Life
One battery charge is enough for 6:49 h in idle use. The Vostro 2520 (8:27 h) and the P253-M (7:11 h) last a bit longer. This run time is determined with the help of the Battery Eater Reader's test. The screen brightness is set at minimum, the energy saving profile is on and the wireless modules are turned off. In the full load test the A512 reached a time of 1:18 h and is thus on par with the TravelMate (1:19 h). The Vostro is ahead of the competition, with a run time of 1:33 h. ASUS A75VJ Battery These run times were measured with the Battery Eater Classic test. The screen brightness was set at maximum, high performance profile was chosen and the wireless modules were turned on.

The WLAN test finished after 4:42 h. The TravelMate's score (4:49 h) is on par. The Vostro is again ahead of the rest with a time of 5:24 h. During this test, a script reloads web pages every 40 seconds. The energy saving profile was chosen and the brightness was set at about 150 cd/m². The LifeBook managed 3:21 h in DVD playback. ASUS A75VM Battery The P253-M lasted only 3:00 h. Once again, the Vostro (5:10 h) shows better results. The DVD test was done with energy saving profile on (or a higher one, if the DVD was not played smoothly), full screen brightness and disabled wireless modules.

The run times of the three notebooks are easy to compare, because their batteries have the same capacity - 48 Wh. It is interesting to see how largely identical devices have very different battery runtimes. ASUS A85 Battery

The LifeBook A512 offers a good application performance. It also impresses us with its maintenance capabilities and low heat emission. The keyboard is also good and is suitable for longer typing sessions and don't forget the two operating systems including the Recovery DVDs. Criticism goes to the bright, but very low contrast display.

The Vostro 2520 offers users the longest battery life of the three notebooks. In addition you can also order it without an operating system. ASUS A85A Battery The TravelMate P253-M is recommended to those users who value low operational noise. Overall, all three notebooks do exactly what they were designed to do. Although they are very similarly equipped, each one excels in a different area.

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Review Toshiba Portégé R930-13F Subnotebook and battery life

"A showcase of technology for the ultimate in mobility". That is the headline for the Portégé devices on the Toshiba homepage. Slim and lean are the Z-devices, for example the Portégé Z930 Ultrabook (1,300 Euros/~$1759) we reviewed a little while ago. Because business users like ports, standard processors and docking stations, the manufacturer also offers a heavyweight 13.3-inch device. Dell 312-1165 Battery Our R930-13F review unit is by far the cheapest version of the family. For the Core i3-2370M with a 320 GB hard drive and without UMTS/HSDPA the retailer wants almost 800 Euros (~$1082). Not a bad offer since the more expensive version R930-11C starts at 1,000 Euros (~$1353). The most expensive i7/SSD version is 2,150 Euros (~$2909).

If the performance is not the most important thing customers could get a cheap, docking-capable, lightweight 13-inch business device. Can the Portégé R930 actually compete with the noble EliteBooks, the robust Latitudes and the legendary ThinkPads? Find out in our in-depth review. Dell 312-1242 Battery

Plenty of competition can be found reviewing business capable 13 and 14-inch devices. There are many models under 1,000 Euros (~$1353). Higher priced devices are (mostly) not listed due to better clarity (EliteBooks are therefore dropped).

13-inch

· Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E330 (i3-2370M, 558 Euros/~$755)

· Fujitsu LifeBook S792 (i5/i7, starting at 1,135 Euros/~$1535)

· Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E335 (AMD E2-1800, 459 Euros/~$621)

· DELL Vostro 3360 Battery (i5-3317U, 599 Euros/~$810)

14-inch

· Acer TravelMate P643-MG (GT 640M, i5-3210M, 899 Euros/~$1216)

· Lenovo ThinkPad T430u (GT 620M, i5-3317U, 950 Euros/~$1285)

·DELL Latitude E6430 Battery (i5-3320M, 797 Euros/~$107

· Lenovo ThinkPad L430 (i5-3210M, 659 Euros/~$892)

· Dell Latitude E5430 (i5-3360M, 700 Euros/~$947)

· HP ProBook 6470b (i5-3320M, starting at 800 Euros/~$1082)

· Lenovo ThinkPad Edge S430 (GT 620M, i5-3210M, 739 Euros/~$1000)

·DELL Vostro 3460 Battery (GT 630M, i5-3210M, 558 Euros/~$755)

The subnotebook with a weight of 1.4 kilograms (~3.1 pounds) is a bit lighter than the already lightweight 1.47 kilogram (~3.2 pound) predecessor from 2011. The usual weight for 13-inch business devices is between 1.6 and 1.8 kilograms (~3.5 and 4.0 pounds). Surprise: Toshiba still does not put the runtimes at risk and attaches a 6-cell battery (66 Wh). Dell 312-1310 Battery

A crucial factor in the combination of low weight and appropriate stability is the magnesium case. The surfaces are still stabilized with the help of a honeycomb structure (inside). Due to the low thickness of the material, weight can be saved without compromising the stability. That is the theory, in reality most of the surfaces are resistant to pressure (palm rest, bottom area). Dell 312-1311 Battery

Underneath the DVD drive however the surfaces can be noticeably dented. The cover surface is resistant to fingerprints because of the brushed finish. The flexibility of the cover is very high yet design related. The panel was mounted flexibly so no color distortion can be seen if pressure is applied to the cover or if it is bent. All the Satellite and Portégé Z-/R-devices have the lightweight characteristics in common Dell 312-1324 Battery

The stability of the magnesium plastic compound structure is good considering the low weight. Especially the base unit cannot be bent with two hands. The two silver-colored hinge covers are attached pretty wobbly. Underneath is a small yet tight joint that almost completely avoids any display teetering.

The magnesium surface is slightly brushed. The cover and palm rest have the feel of brushed aluminum (high, hard knocking noise). All the surfaces are matte but without much grip. Dell 312-1325 Battery

Only the hard drive and the two RAM slots are accessible with the R930. One RAM slot is empty. The memory controller can handle up to 16 GB.

The optical drive is usually a must in the business sector, only the less expensive 13-inch competitors waive it (TP Edge E335, Vostro 3360). The 14-inch devices except the T430u ultrabook are equipped with it. The DVD drive takes the place of potential ports especially since the back has no ports. Dell 451-11693 Battery The manufacturer is inventive with the location of the card reader above and the ExpressCard54 slot half below the optical drive. That leads to a bulky right side.

On the left side is the rare eSATA port. Before USB 3.0, external hard drives via eSATA were the benchmark when it came to speed. There are still many eSATA hard drives in offices or households that require an adaptor to work with USB 3.0 ports. The business favored DisplayPort is unfortunately not included, only VGA and the consumer oriented HDMI. Dell 451-11694 Battery

The docking port at the bottom creates the atmosphere of a real business machine. The Port Replicator PA3838E-1PRP (market price ~180 Euros/~$244) can be used with the R930 and the predecessor R830 (2011). It offers six additional USB ports (2 x USB 3.0) and a serial port.

Performance

Toshiba's 13.3-inch device is equipped with an Intel Core i3-2370M (2 x 2.4 GHz). The dual-core CPU has no Turbo Boost but at least has Hyperthreading. The integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics and the DDR3 memory controller complete the package. Dell 451-11695 BatteryThe Core i3 from the Sandy Bridge generation (2010) is already outdated. The Ivy Bridge processors have replaced this generation mid-2012. The higher-priced R930 are based on Ivy Bridge, in particular the Core i5-3210M or i7-3520M. Now we realize why the price of our review sample is so low (775 Euros/~$104 . This i3 works in devices starting at 500 up to 700 Euros (~$676 up to $947), for example the ThinkPad L430 (version). Dell 451-11696 Battery

As usual it is equipped with 4,096 MB DDR3 memory in one of the two available slots (1 x 4,096 MB module). The hard drive is a 320 GB Toshiba MK3261GSYN running at 7,200 rpm.

Processor
The Sandy Bridge i3 processor has a relatively high clock with 2.4 GHz. What is the performance difference to the Core i5 alternative 3210M, often used by the competition? TravelMate P643-MG, ThinkPad L430, ThinkPad Edge S430 and Vostro 3460 are in unison 25% ahead of our R930. Dell 8858X Battery Remarkable: Low-Voltage alternatives like the cheaper Dell Vostro 3360, with an i5-3317U, are on the same level when it comes to multi-core processing.

The difference is higher for the GPU performance, here the old HD 3000 is clearly limiting. The ThinkPad L430 is 45% faster (HD 4000). With dedicated graphics (TravelMate P643-MG, Vostro 3460, ThinkPad T430u) performance advantages of up to 291% are possible. Dell 8P3YX Battery In this case Asus uses an excellent graphics card (GT 640M) for an office device.

The battery use has no impact on the performance; all Cinebench R11.5 results were identical to the plugged-in results. We verified a steady clock of 2.4 GHz during the CPU benchmarks (no turbo with the i3). The HD 3000 seems to be throttled by Toshiba, the clock under load never went beyond 650 MHz. Based on the nomenclature the GPU can reach a clock of up to 1,350 MHz. Dell 911MD Battery

System Performance
The PCMark Vantage benchmark resulted in an overall score of 5,506 points. That is 20 to 45% behind the competition and the notebooks do not even have to be equipped with a fast SSD. If an SSD is in use like with the LifeBook S792 (+183%), then our R930 has absolutely no chance. The PCMark HDD score shows additional performance of up to 36% in particular cases, overall only +4 to +8%. What adds up as a disadvantage for the R930 is the low CPU performance on the one hand and the weak and low clocked HD 3000 on the other hand. Dell DHT0W Battery The PCMark 7 stopped the pass over and over again so we cannot give you any results.

Mass Storage
The 320 GB hard drive from Hitachi works pretty fast, although it is a conventional HDD (7,200 rpm). It reaches 79 MB/sec for sequential reading (HD Tune). The CrystalDiskMark as a second test determines 89 MB/sec (different test routine compared to HD Tune). The HDD score of the PCMark Vantage is 3,859 points (sub-score). Dell HCJWT BatteryThat is far less than SSDs in our review units (14,000 up to 20,000 points, e. g. XMG A501). A 3D sensor prevents any damage during mobile use; it parks the heads (reading/writing) in case of shock.

Graphics
To determine the gaming capabilities we use the 3DMark06 benchmark. The result is very low with only 2,477 points due to the single-channel memory and the throttled clock of the HD 3000. That is 30% below comparable systems with HD 3000 graphics and a Core i3 (ThinkPad Edge E330, ProBook 4340s). Dell M5Y0X Battery Gaming is not possible at all with the HD 3000. Even less demanding games like FIFA 13 only run smoothly with medium details. If you want an office notebook with gaming power the Acer TravelMate P643-MG (+327%) with a GeForce GT 640M is the best compromise, followed by the Vostro 3460 (+263%) with a GT 630M.

Without high load, for example browsing the web or working with Outlook, the system noise is pretty steady at 33 dB (A). However what we hear and measure is not the fan but the obtrusive humming of the 7200 rpm hard drive. Dell NHXVW Battery A silent SSD would be very convenient for the R930. The fan never turns off completely.

With continuous maximum load for the processor and the integrated HD 3000 the fan eventually gets louder than the HDD. We measure up to 43.6 dB (A), no matter whether it is the mid-level load of 3DMark06 or a stress test with Prime95 (CPU) and FurMark (GPU). Dell P8TC7 Battery

All in all the behavior of the cooling is okay, yet the ambient noise of the fast spinning HDD was distracting after only a short time. Our i3-system gets the rating "Good" from the Cooling-Diagnostics-Tool by Toshiba (tested with 20 minutes of load)

There is not much to criticize in regards to the unit warming-up; the palm rest and keyboard are always in the tolerable range below 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). Dell P9TJ0 Battery During idle and office-use most of the areas remained lukewarm (about 30 degrees Celsius/86 degrees Fahrenheit). The bottom reaches 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit) at some spots.

The peak temperatures during the stress test are much higher with 49 degrees Celsius (120.2 degrees Fahrenheit, top/bottom). This is not surprising for a light case. It can heat up (lack of mass) and cool down again very quickly. The palm rest remains lukewarm all the time; here we measure a maximum value of 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Dell PRRRF Battery During several hours of stress test HWinfo determined 81 degrees Celsius (177.8 degrees Fahrenheit) for the processor at the most (steady clock @2.4 GHz).

Speakers
The stereo speakers are on the left and right side above the keyboard. Their sound is treble-focused, thin and has almost no bass. For music playback we recommend the use of external speakers or headphones. Almost rare are the separate microphone and headphone jacks. Many notebooks use a combined port so existing speaker/microphones have to be used with a y-adaptor. Dell PRV1Y Battery

Energy Management

Energy Consumption
The energy consumption shows a big difference between idle and high load (CPU+IGP). This is typical for Intel Core processors of the last few years. The Core i3 can be very efficient without Turbo Boost, even if it still belongs to the 32nm generation (2010). The idle consumption of the Portégé is between 6.5 Watts (energy-saving, lowest brightness) and 10.6 Watts (maximum performance, highest brightness).Dell R48V3 Battery 3DMark06 (HD 3000 + CPU) requires 45 Watts. During the stress test both the Core i3 and the graphics are working. In this case we measure 50 Watts. The small 65 Watt power supply unit (337 grams/~0.74 pounds, including cord) is sufficient.

Battery Runtime
The runtime of 7:21 hours compensates for the bad speakers and the noisy hard drive. Noticeable: The 66 Wh battery is no high-capacity power battery. This time is reached in the WLAN test, in which we load web sites via script with reduced brightness. Dell RU485 Battery It also contains video playback. In favor of the R930 we had to adjust the brightness to 117 cd/m² (dim 3 steps). This was closest to our target value of 150 cd/m. 2 steps resulted in 186 cd/m² (center), the disadvantage would have been too big. Disadvantage: The charging time for the battery was very high with 4:30 hours.

Toshiba offers a practical addition to the Portégé Z930 ultrabook with the Portégé R930 series. The target group is likely users who do not like the few ports of ultrabooks in general and the Z930 in particular. Dell T54F3 Battery The decision between the Z- and the R-model is not a matter of price; the bulky R930 is by no means a cheap economy model.

Our review unit is a small rarity and exception with a price of 775 Euros (~$104 . With an Intel Core i3-2370M and without UMTS/HSDPA the Portégé R930-13F (PT330E-038004GR) is rarely found for sale. More common are the Core i5 versions with 3G modem that are at least 1,000 Euros (~$1353) without exception. Dell T54FJ Battery Because input devices, base unit, display and the design remain the same, the question of the inexpensive entry to the high-priced business world came up since the Toshiba Portégé devices are the equivalent to the Dell Latitude and the HP EliteBook devices.

All in all we are disappointed by the handy and lightweight 13.3-inch R930. It shines with the battery runtime (7:21 hours) and the convenient keyboard. But we wonder why the manufacturer still integrates (Z830, Z930, Satellite R830, Tecra R840, Satellite R850) the same touchpad with its greasy buttons with almost no travel at all. Dell UJ499 Battery HP and Dell offer flexible, rubberized buttons with good travel in this price category. Even the less expensive ThinkPad Edge E130/E135 in the student price range (300-400 Euros/~$406-$541) has a mouse replacement with much stronger feedback.

Point two of the criticism is the unstable and cheap finish of the hinges and their covers. The flexible and thin display cover is a design related concession. The base unit is no role model in the matter of stability either, the area around the optical drive can be heavily dented when lifting and handling the device. Dell X57F1 Battery

Point three is the TN-display. Although it is matte and bright, the contrast and viewing angles are very poor. An IPS panel, at least in higher price categories, would be heavily appreciated by every customer.

The strengths of the Portégé R930-13F are the low weight (1.4 kilograms/~3.1 pounds), the good connectivity (ExpressCard54, docking port), the long battery runtime and the good standard performance. DELL 1H52F Battery Customers cannot always find these with the 13-inch alternatives. Especially the weight is much higher with often shorter runtimes. We consider the following 13.3-inch devices as suitable alternatives because of the better input devices and the higher stability in total.

· Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E330 (i3-2370M, 558 Euros/~$755)

· Fujitsu LifeBook S792 (i5/i7, starting at 1,135 Euros/~$1535)

There are some very interesting 14-inch alternatives in terms of price. From 700 to 900 Euros (~$947 to $121 you will get a Core i5 in any case. The TravelMate P643-MG even has a powerful GT 640M. All these 14-inch devices have a docking port! But all the alternatives (13-/14-inch) have one weakness in common: A display with pale colors and small viewing angles. DELL 1NP0F Battery

· Acer TravelMate P643-MG (GT 640M, i5-3210M, 899 Euros/~$1216)

· Dell Latitude E6430 (i5-3320M, 797 Euros/~$107

· Lenovo ThinkPad L430 (i5-3210M, 659 Euros/~$892)

· Dell Latitude E5430 (i5-3360M, 700 Euros~$947)

· HP ProBook 6470b (i5-3320M, starting at 800 Euros/~$1082)

Posted by: luckystar at 05:39 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Review HP Envy x2 11-g000eg Tablet and battery life

HP's Envy x2 11-g000eg also belongs to this versatile hybrid category. It basically is an 11.6-inch Windows 8 tablet that can be converted to a conventional laptop via the included keyboard dock. Hp HSTNN-LB2I Battery Equipped with Intel's Atom Z2760, 2 GB of RAM and a 64 GB SSD, the user has the entire software diversity of the x86 universe available. This is a big advantage in contrast to competing Windows RT or Android solutions such as Asus' Transformer Pad Infinity.

HP sets the Envy x2's price with according confidence. The potential buyer has to shell out around 900 Euros (~$1221) with which HP penetrates into the price region of the unequally stronger Acer Iconia Tab W700 featuring a Core i5 processor (from 900 Euros, ~$1221). Comparable contenders, such as Samsung's ATIV Smart PC, are partly much less expensive. Hp HSTNN-OB2F Battery We want to find out whether HP's tablet/convertible justifies its steep price in this review.

We will begin with the actual tablet. Although it features a bigger screen diagonal, it is only insignificantly heavier than the latest iPad 4 by a good 700 grams and is comfortable to hold even for a longer time. The display's entire back is made of a solid aluminum tray that not only bestows the Envy x2 elegant looks but also an exemplary rigidness. The casing hardly warps or dents even when high force is applied. Hp HSTNN-OB2G Charger The build quality is just as excellent and excels with accurate material transitions and cleanly rounded edges in detail. The gap to the industry leader, Apple, is at most marginal.

Our verdict about the dedicated keyboard dock is almost just as good. Although only the bottom is comprised of high-quality aluminum, the silver-gray painted plastic on the top hardly gives reason for complaint. Perhaps the stability in the center area could be improved a bit, but the offer is fully acceptable in total. Hp HSTNN-OB2N Battery

The tablet and dock connection is not quite as optimal. The display wobbles a bit in its mount in laptop mode although the hinges are agreeably firm and precise. A switch has to be pushed and the tablet has to be pulled upward with some force when both parts are to be disconnected. This is quite tricky even with both hands. HP has apparently designed the magnets that keep the display in the mount a bit too strong. Although this is not a major flaw, it is something that needs a certain amount of getting used to. Hp HSTNN-UB2F Battery

Performance

The Atom Z2760 comes from Intel's latest Clover Trail platform, which was specifically designed for use in Windows 8 tablets. Both computing cores clock with 1.8 GHz each (no Turbo) and can process up to 4 threads at the same time owing to Hyper Threading. Although the Z2760 is closely related to netbook SoCs, such as the N2800, there are a few additional restrictions. Hp HSTNN-W81C Battery For example, the memory controller has been slimmed down (2 GB LPDDR2 maximum) and the 64 bit extension has been omitted in order to reduce the power consumption. This results in a remarkably low TDP of only 1.7 watts.

The chip-integrated graphics unit PowerVR SGX 545 (533 MHz) is known from the sister platform Cedar Trail, but is marketed under the name GMA 3600/3650. Technically, the GPU is very outdated. The feature set is limited to DirectX9 and the performance cannot compete with the fastest ARM SoCs either. Hp QK639AA Charger

HP configures the Envy x2 with the maximum memory capacity of 2 GB LPDDR2-800 and installs a 64 GB SSD. Other configurations are currently not available.

Processor
Intel's Atom models are well-known for their modest computing power and the rather new Z2760 is no exception. The chip only achieves 1644 points in Cinebench R10 32 bit and is not even 15% faster than AMD's C-60 netbook CPU. Here, the Atom strongly benefits from Hyper Threading technology. Without it, the score would be much lower. Battery for Hp QK640AA

This becomes particularly evident in Cinebench's single-thread test. The score drops to a poor 592 points, which is 25% lower than the equally slow C-60. For comparison: even a ULV CPU, such as the Core i5 3317U, performs 4 to 6 times better depending on the application. Compared with ARM chips, the Z2760 looks quite good and places itself roughly between models based on Cortex A9 and Cortex A15 architecture. Hp QK642AA Battery

Since the Clover Trail platform does not support SATA drives, the integrated 64 GB SSD (47 GB available for the operating system and files) is actually a kind of memory card based on eMMC standard. These storage devices regrettably usually do not operate very quickly, as we previously ascertained in Samsung's ATIV.

We determined sequential transfer rates of around 81 MB/s in read and 34 MB/s in write using CrystalDiskMark, which exactly corresponds to the aforementioned contender. Hp QK643AA Battery replacement The Envy x2 does a slightly better job in small 4K files, but the rates remain behind a "genuine" SATA SSD. The flash memory should nevertheless provide an advantage in contrast to conventional hard drives in practical use, irrespective of space requirements and power consumption.

System Performance
Experience shows that PCMark 7 from Futuremark highly benefits from an SSD drive so that the score of 1430 points should not be overrated. It seems that the Envy x2 comes close to entry-level laptops, such as HP's ProBook 4545s (1763 points), which will only be an exception in practice. Hp ST09 Battery

The tablet awed with extremely short load times and very smooth use as long as we only worked on Windows 8's Metro interface. Our test device achieved 712.3 milliseconds in Sunspider's JavaScript benchmark version 0.9.1 and even outperformed the latest iPad 4 that needed almost 900 milliseconds. It is no problem to play a 1080p video on YouTube and even scroll smoothly at the same time. HP 671277-171 Battery However, those who use the "conventional" Windows will soon find the Atom chip's limits during light multitasking, for example when performing an installation in the background or running moderately demanding software. Switching between portrait or landscape mode could also be a bit faster.

Graphics Card
The most important task for the PowerVR SGX 545 is video acceleration, which works perfectly with the right player and codec. However, the tablet already partly fails with 720p material lacking GPU support.

The available graphics power is really disappointing and is excelled by every better current smartphone. A modest 401 points in 3DMark06 contradict playing any 3D games from the last 5 years on the Envy x2. Every modern Celeron processor is many times faster here. HP 671518-800 Charger

Gaming Performance
We did not want to waive on a short practical test to substantiate this statement. We recorded an awesome 2.1 fps in Anno 2070 and 3.3 fps in Diablo 3 after the games took minutes to load, with virtually unusable menus and severe graphical bugs. Users who seriously want to play on their tablet will either have to look for another model featuring a stronger graphics card or be content with undemanding 2D games from the app store. HP 671602-001 adapter

Despite the omitted fan, the energy-efficient Atom Z2760 only insignificantly heats up the casing. The surface temperatures stayed far below 40 °C even during maximum load. We only measured an average of 30 °C during idle. A few Android tablets can score with even lower temperatures but the temperature of the Envy x2 is in no way distracting during routine use.

The user does not have to worry about the SoC's core temperatures either. The integrated sensor recorded an absolutely safe 65 °C after one hour of our stress test via Prime95 and FurMark. The upcoming hot summer days should not cause throttling or stability issues. Hp 671567-831 Battery

Power Consumption

With 2.7 - 5.9 watts the Envy x2 cannot quite compete with the extremely low idle power consumption of the identically equipped Samsung ATIV Smart PC (1.4 - 4 watts), but it at least undercuts the latest iPad 4 (2.6 - 8.4 watts). Who would have thought this possible with x86 hardware a few years ago?

The consumption increased by just 5 watts to a total of 7.2 - 10.9 watts during full load, which underlines the Atom SoC's excellent energy-efficiency. Hp H2L56AA Battery Even the most economic ultrabooks based on a ULV processor from the Ivy Bridge generation need a minimum of 30 watts in the same load scenario (however, with significantly higher computing power).

Battery Runtime

Besides the 26 Wh battery in the tablet, HP installs another battery in the keyboard dock that contributes an additional 21 Wh. Consequently, an impressive total of 47 Wh is available and should bestow the Envy x2 with excellent runtimes. Hp H2L55AA#ABB adapter

In fact, our test device was first drained after 20 hours and 34 minutes in Battery Eater's Reader's test with minimum brightness and disabled Wi-Fi, a rate that only few devices, such as Apple's iPad, achieved until now.

The practical runtimes using enabled Wi-Fi and adapted brightness (approx. 150 cd/m²) are just as impressive. The user can browse and watch HD videos for almost 12 hours before the power reserves are exhausted under these conditions. Hp HSTNN-LB3N Battery

HP's tablet ends this part with a record-breaking time of over 7 hours in Battery Eater's Classic test (maximum brightness, Wi-Fi on). The dock was connected in all runtime assessments. It was always discharged before the tests. The runtimes will decrease by about 40% without this additional energy capacity. A long four and a half hours are needed for completely recharging both the tablet and the dock. Hp HSTNN-LB3P Charger

The longer we dealt with HP's Envy x2 11, the more the concept appealed to us. Laptop and tablet in one - why wasn't this invented years ago? We look back at the awkward convertibles of the past...

Windows 8 and up-to-date hardware first make such devices possible without making painful compromises in use or mobility. We particularly liked the tablet mode: silky scrolling, great casing quality, good (though not first-rate) IPS screen - if we disregard the fairly low app availability, the Envy x2 could be a real alternative to the iPad & co. Hp HSTNN-YB3N Battery

However, our test device left us with mixed feelings in laptop mode. The energy-efficient Atom SoC will simply be too slow and the connectivity too limited for many Windows users. But not all of that is HP's fault - a faster Ivy Bridge CPU would have included other drawbacks. One of the next Atom generations or Haswell will likely manage the balancing act between power consumption and performance a lot better. Hp HSTNN-YB3P Battery

The functional tablet-laptop combination is quite worth considering if the user can disregard these restrictions and is willing to pay a steep price of just under 900 Euros (~$1221). However, users who are not dependent on Windows will find many just as attractive (and usually much cheaper) models among Android devices.

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Review Dell Inspiron 15z (5523) Ultrabook and battery life

The thin line between ultrabooks and multimedia notebooks is gradually disappearing. First came the elegant Zenbooks that emulated the genre leader MacBook Air. The ultrabooks of today are a bit thicker and heavier, due to the additional equipment such as DVD drive and 15.6-inch screen. Dell XPS 12 Battery Both of these are characteristics of the broad class of multimedia notebooks. But the usual ultrabook features are also not neglected: Solid State Drives or hard drives with ExpressCache offer quick system start-up. At about 2 kg, the Dell Inspiron 15z 5523 is approximately one kilogram lighter than most 15.6-inch notebooks. The predecessor with the same name, Inspiron 15z, was still a classical multimedia notebook. Dell XPS L201X Battery

As with all its devices, Dell offers an individually configurable notebook. Our Inspiron 15z 5523 comes with the cheapest available processor Intel Core i5-3317U – a ULV CPU of the current Ivy Bridge generation with a good price-performance ratio. It also houses the graphics chip Intel HD Graphics 4000, which is augmented by the dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 630M with 2 GB of video memory. Dell XPS L301X Battery The total system memory available is 6 GB, composed of one 4 GB and one 2 GB modules, occupying both RAM slots. In addition Dell's ultrabook comes with a 128 GB Solid State Drive, of which at least 18 GB is taken up by Windows 8 Pro (64 bit).

In this configuration, the Inspiron 15z is available for 749 Euros (~$100 on Dell's website. Those who are happy with just the integrated graphics chip and the conventional 500 GB hard drive, can save exactly 100 Euros (~$134). An upgrade of our configuration to the Intel i7-3517U costs 50 Euros (~$67). Dell XPS L302X Battery

The Inspiron 15z looks like a proper ultrabook with its gray brushed aluminum display lid and palm rest. The well-rounded edges are a matter of taste. Although the metal surfaces are not as dirt prone as is high-gloss plastic, some fingerprints are still clearly visible. The same is true about dust on the glossy display, which is not an issue on matte screens. Thus, a cleaning cloth is a must-have accessory. Dell 0TN1K5 Battery

The fancy metal surfaces are protected by plastic around the edges and on the bottom cover, both of which feel quite solid. In addition, all the gaps are uniform and the Inspiron 15z can be awarded a good workmanship mark.

A 15-inch notebook, which at 23 mm is also very thin, will mostly have the disadvantage of a wobbly display. The Inspiron 15z is not an exception. When opening the 5 mm thin display lid, it feels like no teetering should be expected. But small vibrations prove the opposite. Dell 1C75X Battery Still, the hinges hold the lid firmly in place and it can be comfortably opened with one hand. The maximum opening angle is only about 120 degrees.

Communication
Dell has equipped the Inspiron 15z with a "Dell Wireless 1704" module that uses the latest WLAN and Bluetooth standards. The former supports 802.11b/g/n and we cannot ask more of it. But our test revealed some problems. At first the ultrabook could not connect to the access point, but that was resolved after a re-installation of the driver. The module also could not communicate well with our FritzBox, which is a couple of years old and supports the b/g standards. Dell 312-1176 Battery Although the tray icon said that the connection was stable, the internet access was interrupted at random intervals. A reboot of the module bought us some more internet time. There are different explanations of the problem on some internet forums, but unfortunately we could not find a solution for the period of the review. However, the connection to other access points was flawless. Dell 312-1177 Battery

The range of the WLAN module was rather mediocre. At a distance of 10 meters (~33 feet) and a wall between the router and the notebook, the wireless strength fluctuated between two and four bars out of five. With one floor and about two walls between the two devices, the ultrabook could not connect to the router at all. In comparison, both an old netbook with an Atheros module and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 still had reception at this point. Dell 312-1178 Battery

The latest Bluetooth Version 4.0, which is more energy efficient than the widely used version 3.0, is also available. Annoyingly, Bluetooth and WLAN can only be switched off or on together and not separately via the Fn button.

Accessories
The ultrabook comes only with the essentials. In addition to the power supply and some printed materials, there is only a single DVD with drivers, which currently can also be downloaded off the internet. A Windows Recovery DVD could have been useful in order to quickly restore the system to its factory settings. Instead, we have the Windows Recovery function and Dell's "Backup and Recovery" at our disposal. Dell 312-1354 Battery

Maintenance
A small cover allows quick access to the system memory. The rest of the bottom side cannot be removed without the risk of damage. Therefore, attempting to do so is not advisable at least for amateurs. You cannot easily access the other components such as hard drive, graphics card, and fan. Dell 3DJH7 Battery

Performance

The heart of Dell's Inspiron 15z in our configuration is the Intel Core i5-3317U. It is a popular choice since it offers good value for money to most customers. The processor has two cores with a base clock of 1.7 GHz. At idle, the frequency is automatically reduced to 800 MHz and under high load Turbo Boost should increase it to 2.6 GHz (single core). Dell 97KRM Battery The chip also houses the Intel Graphics HD 4000, which is used in simpler applications in order to save power. The dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 630M comes with 2 GB video memory. Thanks to Nvidia Optimus technology it is automatically turned on for demanding video and 3D applications. As we already mentioned, the Inspiron also comes with 6 GB of RAM, which ought to be enough for most users. The 128 GB Solid State Drive is rather fast, but might be a bit too small as a storage device. Dell 9GP08 Battery

In this configuration, the Dell Inspiron 15z costs 749 Euros (~$100 . The cheapest version with Intel Core i3-3217U, 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive with a 32 GB ExpressCache will set you back 599 Euros (~$806). The most powerful chip is the Intel Core i7-3517U, which Dell offers in the Inspiron 15z model starting from 949 Euros (~$1277). Dell FV993 Battery

Compared to other notebooks with the same processor, the Inspiron 15z shows a rather poor performance in the CPU benchmark Cinebench. The smaller Inspiron 14z or even the cheaper Asus Aspire V5-571G are about 50% quicker in the Single Rendering test. We saw the same results in both the 32 and 64 bit Multi Core tests.
According to the specifications, a single core should be able to reach 2.6 GHz and both cores - 2.4 GHz.Dell FVWT4 Battery But under continuous load, which the benchmark simulated, neither cores exceed the base clock. This is the reason for the relatively low scores. This also leads to performance loss in demanding applications. Some consolation comes from the fact that the frequency is not lower on battery power - the benchmarks showed the same results as when plugged in.

System Performance
Dell J5CG3 Battery The extensive benchmarks of the PCMark Vantage and PCMark 7 will serve as an indicator to the overall system performance. Unfortunately the 1.5-hour Vantage benchmark came up with no results, so here are the PCMark 7 ones. Compared to the aforementioned notebooks it is obvious that the poor CPU performance has no effect here. The score of the Inspiron 15z trumps all notebooks with the same CPU. The reason is the SSD - all of the other laptops use slower hybrid solutions with ExpressCache. Dell KJ321 Battery

The advantage of the flash memory is noticeable especially in combination with Windows 8. Although the lack of a Start menu might be confusing to new users, the usual loading times for system and application start-up are almost non-existent. A cold start of the notebook takes a couple of seconds, little more than when waking from Sleep mode. Dell PG6RC Battery

Our test model comes with a Solid State Drive (SSD) made by Liteon (LCT-128M3S). The manufacturer promises maximum read and write speeds of over 500 MB/s. The sequential read rate we measured was 493 MB/s and the write one was only 187 MB/s. The first value is rather good for a flash drive. While the write rate was far from the advertised one, it should not matter that much to the overall performance. Dell R7PND Battery

As we already mentioned, the hybrid solution of a 500 GB hard drive and an ExpressCache costs 100 Euros (~$134) less. The small Inspiron 14z we tested came with a Solid State Drive made by Samsung that had similar read rates and slightly better write rates. Dell RY6WH Battery

Graphics Card
In addition to the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000, the Inspiron 15z can be equipped with the dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 630M, as is our test model. It is an affordable graphics card of the lower middle class, which allows playing some games on the ultrabook. Automatic switching between the two graphics solutions is also possible thanks to Nvidia Optimus technology. Dell V7M28 Battery The Intel chip is used for simple desktop applications and thus saves power and increases battery life. The dedicated GeForce card takes over during demanding HD movies or 3D applications.

The results from 3DMark 11 are as expected. The smaller Inspiron 14z is equipped with the somewhat slower AMD Radeon HD 7570M, which scored about 3/4 of the points of the GeForce. Dell X57F1 Battery The slightly lower-clocked GeForce 620M of the aforementioned Acer Aspire V5-571G also has a similar score. The ultrabook Acer Aspire M5-581TG comes with a GeForce 640M. Its lead of 50% is due to the significantly higher number of Shaders and the new Kepler architecture. The 630M is part of Nvidia's previous Fermi generation.

If we have a dedicated graphics card on board, we should be able to play some games on the ultrabook. Although, at this price, some compromises are to be expected. With the help of some older and some modern games, we test the gaming capabilities of the Inspiron 15z. Dell 312-0233 Battery First is Starcraft 2, which we played without significant frame rate drops. The game runs at 1024x768 pixels and low details with more than 100 fps. But even at native resolution and medium details it is still playable at 50 fps. Only at a higher setting would the game stutter in some demanding battles.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a 2011 role playing game that is graphically more demanding. Yet it is playable at lower details and native resolution – even though the counter never exceeded 30 fps. Under load, as when playing Skyrim, the limitation of the CPU clock is the ultrabook's bottleneck for games. Dell 312-0234 Battery

Assassin's Creed 3 is a brand new title. It is playable on the Inspiron 15z at native resolution and medium details. You can find various gaming benchmarks on the GeForce GT 630M page, which should indicate basic gaming capabilities with some restrictions. Those who intend to play older or not so demanding games will find a good price-performance compromise with this card. But an ultrabook is generally the wrong choice for higher gaming demands. Dell 312-1201 Battery

Noise Level
Unlike a conventional hard drive, the SSD is completely silent, because there are no mechanical elements. This leaves the fan and the DVD drive, when used, as the Inspiron 15z's sources of noise. When working on a desktop, say with Office applications, the ultrabook remains pleasantly quiet. Only when playing games or under similar demanding applications does the fan spin up. Dell 383CW Battery The noise level we measured was 42 dB, which is a mediocre result. When playing a DVD, the drive is sporadically audible, but this does not disturb the movie experience in any way.

Power Consumption
At just 5.9 W the ultrabook has a properly low minimum consumption. In comparison, the smaller 14z draws a minimum of 7.4 W. The maximum energy consumption of the 15z is almost 47 W, which is about 10 W higher than the Inspiron 14z. Dell 4T7JN BatteryThe main reason is the powerful Nvidia graphics card. The maximum output of the power supply is 90 W, which is more than enough.

Battery Life
As the already mentioned 14z, the Inspiron 15z comes with a built-in Lithium-Ion battery with a capacity of 44 Wh. Theoretically, given the minimum power consumption, the battery should last more than 7.5 hours. The actual time was measured with the Battery Eater Tool, which simulates reading a text document instead of absolutely idle state. With lowest screen brightness and disabled wireless modules, the battery lasted almost 7 hours. Dell 9JR2H Battery

A more practical scenario is offered by the surf test. We set the brightness on medium and let a script reload websites of different sizes. The Inspiron 15z was out of juice after 5 hours and 34 minutes. The ultrabook lasts almost half an hour less playing a DVD with the same brightness, but deactivated WLAN. Dell 9T48V Battery

The minimum run time should be less than an hour, because the maximum consumption of the notebook is higher than the battery's capacity. The Classic test by Battery Eater showed 1 hour and 12 minutes. This shows that the ultrabook does not draw the maximum 46 W constantly, probably because of the CPU frequency limitation. Since this scenario is not realistic, the battery should last longer than this even in demanding applications. Dell 2XRG7 Battery

Dell has successfully integrated the ultrabook into the multimedia Inspiron family. The 15z bridges the gap between the two notebook classes without sacrificing too much on either side.

First off is the stylish appearance that deserves the title ultrabook. The brushed aluminum not only looks good, but also emphasizes the high quality of the case. It is remarkably thin for a 15-inch notebook and is also well built. The hardware components are also on an ultrabook level: the Intel Core i5-3317U is a processor with a good price-performance ratio, supported by the Nvidia GeForce GT 630M. Dell D75H4 Battery Occasional gaming is also possible on the Inspiron 15z. The Solid State Drive in combination with Windows 8 makes working rather quick - the system boots in seconds and so do the other programs.

The display is less convincing. Due to its glossy surface and relatively low brightness, it is less than suitable for outdoor use. The performance of the notebook suffers from a CPU that is limited to its base clock, thus remaining below its potential. However, this ensures that the ultrabook is always cool and quiet. Dell VH748 Battery Also unsatisfactory is the pre-installed software. Under Windows 8 not all of the multi-touch gestures shown in the Touchpad Tool work, even after activation. This leaves just a couple of the standard ones. There is also no separate deactivation of the Bluetooth and WLAN. The Fn key switches both of them on or off. This is not user-friendly or practical. We are hoping for an update here. Dell 2P2MJ Battery

The hybrids between ultrabooks and multimedia notebooks are increasing in number. On the one hand they are chic, slim, lightweight and offer long battery life. On the other hand, they are also suitable for gaming, listening to music and watching movies. At over 2 kg and with a 15-inch screen, the 15z is not exactly the most delicate ultrabook. Also, other notebooks of the same class have a longer battery life, but without the dedicated graphics card. Dell 312-1163 Battery These are the requirements that multimedia notebooks must meet - although they are bigger and heavier, they often have better graphics cards, a wider range of interfaces and better sound.

The Dell Inspiron 15z is a type of compromise, which should please a large number of customers without major or specific demands. A big advantage of Dell is the individual configuration of the notebooks, thus allowing the ultrabook to meet most requirements.

Posted by: luckystar at 03:21 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Review Sony Vaio SV-E14A3M2ES Notebook and battery life

With the E14A3M2ES Sony introduces a 14-inch office notebook. There are no major changes over the previous models of the E14 series. Our test unit is equipped with an Ivy Bridge Core i3 processor and a touchscreen. This package costs between 650 and 750 Euros (~$847 - $977). We have previously reviewed the SV-E14A1M6EW (Core i3-2350M, Radeon HD 7670M), which belongs to the same series. Our review reveals whether the new model is convincing. Sony VAIO VGN-P17H/W Battery

For comparison, we chose from the competition the MSI CR41-587 (Core i5-3210M, HD Graphics 4000) and the Acer Aspire V5-471G (Core i5-3317U, GeForce GT 620M). Both models do not have a touchscreen. We have chosen these notebooks, because according to us the touchscreen is nothing more than a nice extra. In addition, there are currently no 14-inch notebooks on the market that feature both a touchscreen and a standard CPU and are priced below 800 Euros (~$1043). The available models with touchscreens are either ultrabooks or standard laptops with ULV hardware. Sony VAIO VGN-P27H/G Battery For example; the Sony Vaio SV-T1312V1ES (750 to 800 Euros; ~$977 to $1043), the HP Envy TouchSmart 4-1102sg (800 to 900 Euros; ~$1043 to $1173) and the Asus Vivobook S400CA (650 to 700 Euros; ~$847 to $913). All three of these feature a Core i5-3317U processor and an HD Graphics 4000 GPU.

Case

The casing of the Vaio is very similar to that of its predecessor. The only differences are the color and the materials. The back of the display lid is made of aluminum. Most of the top side of the base unit is made of silver matte plastic. The rest of the base unit and the thin display frame are made of black glossy plastic. The Aspire and the MSI notebooks are made entirely of plastic.

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The base unit leaves a solid impression. The top side barely gives in when pressed and only the left and right sides of the keyboard can be depressed slightly. Unfortunately, the base unit can be twisted too easily when held at the front corners. This is accompanied by a creaking noise. The aluminum display lid is much more stable and can barely be twisted. However, it can be pressed in the center so deeply that image distortions are noticeable. The hinges hold the screen firmly in place, but permit slight teetering. The lid cannot be opened with one hand.

Communication
The Intel WLAN module (Centrino Advanced-N 2230) installed in the Vaio supports the 802.11 b/g/n standards. This module also provides the notebook with Bluetooth 4.0 functionality. There is nothing to complain about with the Wi-Fi reception. The Windows wireless indicator shows full bars in the immediate vicinity (about 3 meters, ~9.84 feet) and at two floors below the router. The module also allows the connection of a certified display to the notebook via the wireless network (Intel Wireless Display Technology). The Gigabit Ethernet chip of the Vaio is made by Realtek (RTL8168/8111). The webcam has acceptable image quality and has a maximum resolution of 1280x1024 pixels.

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Accessories
Sony delivers the notebook with a couple of thin booklets (safety guide, warranty information, recovery guide) and a quick start guide.

Operating system and recovery
The Vaio comes with a pre-installed Windows 8 (64-bit). There is no installation DVD in the box. The notebook is equipped with a System Recovery instead. This allows the user to revert the operating system to its factory settings, if Windows 8 cannot load. In order to access the System Recovery menu you need to press the "Assist" button with the notebook turned off. The laptop is then turned on and the System Recovery is started.

Maintenance
The Vaio notebook does not have a lot of maintenance options. There are only two removable panels on the bottom. The hard drive is behind one and the system memory is behind the other. Access to the rest of the components is not possible. The notebook has two RAM slots. In our model, one 4 GB module was installed. The Vaio supports up to 16 GB of RAM in total (according to the manufacturer).

Warranty
Sony delivers the E14A3M2ES with a 24-month warranty. The Aspire and the MSI come with the same warranty period. This period can be extended by one or two years for a surcharge of about 90 Euros (~$117) and 130 Euros (~$170) respectively.

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Performance

Our test model is a 14-inch office notebook. It offers sufficient performance for daily tasks such as word processing, Internet communications and video playback (including HD videos). The notebook costs between 650 and 750 Euros (~$847 and $977).

Sony offers the E14 series notebooks in various configurations. Different processors, displays, and case colors are available. There are also models with the Radeon HD 7670M GPU. Whoever does not like the pre-configured models can order a personal configuration from Sony's online store. The current cheapest model costs 590 Euros (~$770).

Processor
Our test model comes equipped with an Intel Core i3-3120M dual-core processor. The CPU belongs to Intel's Ivy Bridge series. It operates at a base clock frequency of 2.5 GHz. There is no Turbo Boost.

The processor completed the Cinebench tests at full speed. The resulting scores are, as expected, higher than the V5-471G (Core i5-3317U, GeForce GT 620M) and below the MSI (Core i5-3210M, HD Graphics 4000). The Acer notebook has a weaker CPU and the CR41 has a more powerful one. In the GL tests the Vaio performed significantly worse than the CR41, despite the fact that both models have the same GPU. It is worth mentioning that the RAM in the CR41 works in Dual-Channel mode. The Aspire is far ahead of the competition thanks to its powerful GeForce GPU.

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System Performance
The powerful processor and fast hard drive make brisk work possible on the Vaio. The PC Mark 7 Benchmark confirms the positive impression. The notebook's results position it right in the middle of its competition. The CR41 (Core i5-3210M, HD Graphics 4000) scores more points thanks to its powerful CPU and the Aspire (Core i5-3317U, GeForce GT 620M) has slightly worse results. The predecessor model cannot keep up, because of its weaker CPU and slower hard drive.

We urge the E14 buyers to install the Windows 8 Updates (several hundred megabytes) upon receiving the notebook. The Vaio runs smoothly only after this has been completed. The notebook sometimes did not respond and some of our benchmarks refused to start when we tested the laptop as it came from the factory.

Graphics Card
The video output is done by Intel's HD Graphics 4000 GPU. It supports DirectX 11 and works with a clock frequency ranging from 350 to 1100 MHz.

The results of the 3D Mark Benchmarks are on the expected level. The Vaio cannot reach the score of the CR41-i587 (Core i5-3210M, HD Graphics 4000), because the MSI has a more powerful CPU and system memory that works in Dual-Channel mode. For testing purposes we installed a second RAM module in the Vaio. This upgrade increased the score in the 3D Mark 11 Benchmark to 651 points. Both notebooks cannot keep up with the Aspire (Core i5-3317U, GeForce GT 620M). The GeForce GPU is far superior to the Intel GPU and delivers 70 to 80% higher scores in the 3D Mark 11.

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Gaming Performance
The HD Graphics 4000 GPU can play current 3D games only in lower resolution and lowered quality settings. Some less demanding games can be played in higher resolution and higher quality settings, such as the FIFA series. The frame rate can be increased, depending on the game and quality settings, by adding a second RAM module. The HD 4000 GPU performs better when in cooperation with a system memory that work in Dual-Channel mode. We have tried and tested this.

The average frame rate in F1 2012 at high quality settings (native resolution) increased from 22 to 26 fps. In Anno 2070, at low (resolution: 1024x768 pixels) and medium (native resolution) quality the frame rate increased to 46.9 and 24.8 fps respectively. In Skyrim the frame rate can be raised to 33.1 fps at low quality settings (resolution 1024x768 pixels). If you like the Vaio, but also really want to play some games, you can order it with the Radeon HD 7670M GPU.

In idle state no point on the casing of the Vaio exceeds the 30 oC (86 oF) mark. The MSI CR41 is just as cool. The Aspire warms up slightly more. Even under full load, the Sony is not too warm, with temperatures of 25.4 to 40 oC (77.72 to 104 oF). The notebook can thus be used on the lap in any situation. Both of the rivals show higher temperatures.

The CPU and GPU completed our stress test (Prime 95 and FurMark running simultaneously for an hour) at maximum clock frequency (CPU: 2.5 GHz; GPU: 1100 MHz). The temperature of the CPU remained in the range of 63/64 oC (145.4/147.2 oF).

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Energy Management

Power Consumption
In idle state we measured an energy consumption of 9.9 to 11.7 W. These results are higher than expected. The MSI CR41 with its more powerful processor consumes only 7.8 to 10.9 W. The Aspire draws between 7.3 and 11.7 W. Under full load (Prime95 and FurMark) the Vaio (45.4 W) is ahead of both the Aspire (52.1 W) and the CR41 (52.5 W). The high energy consumption of the MSI CR41 is due to the Turbo Boost.

Battery Life
With a single battery charge, the Vaio lasted 9:57 h in idle. The CR41 (8:01 h) and the Aspire (5:36 h) cannot keep up. These run times were measured with the Battery Eater Reader's Test. The screen brightness is set at minimum, the energy-saving profile is active and the wireless modules are turned off. Under full load, the Vaio's battery was empty after 1:42 h. The competitors do not last as long (CR41: 1:15 h; V5-471G: 1:01 h). For this test we used the Battery Eater Classic Test. The screen brightness is set at maximum, the high performance profile is chosen and the wireless modules are active.

The Sony notebook completed the WLAN test in 6:02 h. The Vaio is again ahead of the competition (MSI: 4:10 h, Acer: 2:26 h). During this test, a script opens a different web page every 40 seconds, the energy-saving profile is chosen and the screen brightness is set at 150 cd/m². The Vaio managed 4:48 h of DVD playback. Both the Aspire (2:44 h) and the MSI (3:18 h) cannot reach such run times. The DVD test was completed with the energy-saving profile active (or higher, if the DVD did not play smoothly), screen brightness at maximum and wireless modules turned on.

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The battery life of the Vaio is not surprising, because it has the battery with the largest capacity of the three notebooks (Sony: 59 Wh; MSI: 49 Wh; Acer: 37 Wh).

The Vaio SV-E14A3M2ES impresses with its good applications performance and the long battery life. We also liked the low system noise in idle state and low temperatures of the case. In addition, the notebook has a handy keyboard. The touchscreen works perfectly and leaves a good impression, but is nothing more than a fancy gadget. It is available at Sony's online shop at a surcharge of 100 Euros (~$130). Those who can do without it will save money. So, we come to the biggest problem of the notebook: at 650 to 750 Euros (750 Euros in Sony's online store), it is very expensive. There are more powerful laptops, without a touchscreen, that are cheaper. For example, the CR41 is currently priced below 600 Euros (~$780). Sony VAIO VGN-P21Z/W Battery

The MSI CR41-i587 is ideal for users who want high performance and better equipment for less money. The Aspire V5-471G is ideal for those seeking a lightweight, affordable 14-inch notebook that is also gaming capable. The Aspire is also currently priced under 600 Euros (~$780). Without the GeForce GPU, the price even drops below 500 Euros (~$650).

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Review HP Pavilion g6-2253sg Notebook and battery life
AMD is currently having a tough time in the notebook market. Particularly in terms of CPU performance and power consumption, the Trinity APUs cannot keep up with Intel's Ivy Bridge. Also, limited is the supply of attractive multimedia notebooks with AMD hardware. HP is one of the few OEMs that is making an effort to make AMD a desirable laptop for the consumer.

Since we recently reviewed the Pavilion g6-2200sg with a Pentium processor, we wanted to have a look at the AMD based model. The HP Pavilion g6-2253sg features a quad-core APU, the A10-4600M, which works in a hybrid-crossfire configuration with the Radeon HD 7670M. The 15-inch model also has generous 8 GB of RAM and a 1000 GB hard drive. Surprisingly, the price for the whole package is only 550 Euros (~$715). This means that the g6-2253sg is in direct competition with notebooks like the Fujitsu Lifebook AH532 (i5-3210M, GT 640M LE) and the Acer Aspire V3-551G (A10-4600M, HD 7670M).

Note: Hybrid-crossfire is possible in the laptop as the GPU on the A10-4600M is based on the same process as the HD7670M (40 nm process). The new Kaveri APUs that are expected at the end of the year are expected to have the newer GCN based GPUs that should work in crossfire with the GCN based mobile GPUs (28 nm process). The 7660G in the A10 is unable to work in tandem (hybrid-crossfire mode) with the HD 7730M as it is based on the newer GCN chips.
Glossy surfaces everywhere you look. Although it seems very chic and classy at first glance, this quickly proved to be highly impractical. Even the tiniest speck of dust is magically attracted by the dark lacquer ("sparkling black"), which forces the user to constantly clean the notebook.

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Qualitatively, the Pavilion g6 is on the expected level for this price range. The chassis is made completely out of plastic and weighs 2.5 kg. An audible creak accompanies any pressure on the case. Above the DVD drive and the battery, the chassis can even be dented a few millimeters, but it does not exceed any critical proportions. The budget Pavilion also cannot hide the smaller workmanship defects like the slightly protruding case edges.

The display lid is held by two tight hinges, which require two hands to open the notebook. The lid tends to wobble when we open the laptop which is something that is common in laptops in this price range. A typical problem, and one that we have already observed and criticized in the Intel version, is the lack of torsional rigidity.

Communication
The Pavilion g6-2253sg does not support Bluetooth or WWAN (UMTS, LTE), leaving WLAN as the only option for wireless connection. The corresponding module is made by Qualcomm (Atheros AR9485/AR5B125) and supports the 802.11b/g/n standards. Unfortunately the user cannot use the 5 GHz bandwidth or multi-stream transmissions. The maximum transfer rate is limited to 150 Mbit/s (1x1). Nonetheless, the wireless module maintained a very stable connection and decent transfer speeds even at longer distances.

The webcam with integrated microphone, which is located above the display, takes photos and videos with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (0.9 MP). The quality is sufficient for the usual communication tasks. Detail reproduction and noise cancellation are mediocre at best and are far behind those of a modern smartphone.

Accessories
Manufacturers usually skimp on accessories, especially on entry-level notebooks, and HP does the same with the Pavilion g6. In addition to the battery and the 90 W power supply, the notebook comes with some brochures as the only accessories in the package.

The laptop itself comes with Windows 8 (64 Bit) and various programs and tools pre-installed. Some of them are quite handy (backup software: HP Recovery Manager, webcam application: CyberLink YouCam), while others fall in the category of adware (ebay application).

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Maintenance
Thanks to the handy sliding mechanism, the maintenance cover can be opened after removing a single screw. But the user does not have a lot of upgrade options. The only 2.5-inch bay is already occupied by the hard drive and there is no mSATA slot. The WLAN adapter and the RAM modules (2 slots, maximum 2x 8 GB) can also be replaced with different components.

Keyboard
Just as with the Intel version, HP has installed a chiclet keyboard with a separate numpad, which sits slightly lower than the surface level of the base unit. Fortunately, HP has avoided any layout gimmicks and all the buttons are exactly where the user would expect them to be. The only exceptions are: the default setting of the F keys is the special function (can be disabled in BIOS) and the arrow keys are slightly smaller.

Thanks to the generous 15 x 15 mm (0.59 x 0.59 inches) large buttons, desktop users will quickly get accustomed to the Pavilion. The pleasantly crisp, if a little short, stroke provides precise feedback on every key press and allows fast typing with a low error count. The background noise, which turns into audible clatter during quick typing, is bit annoying.

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Touchpad
The 4.5 x 9.5 cm (1.77 x 3.74 inches) large Synaptics touchpad is not that big, but has enough room for all the various multi-touch gestures with up to three fingers. HP has opted for a textured surface, which provides good finger gliding and a pleasant feel. The touchpad impressed in the test with its precision and responsiveness.

Contrary to the trend of so-called Clickpads, in the Pavilion g6 we find two dedicated mouse buttons. Both of them have a solid and clear tactile feedback, register a press up to the edge and have a soft clicking sound.

The A10-4600M is currently AMD's flagship model of the Trinity family. The APU was introduced almost a year ago. It is based on the Bulldozer architecture and has two so-called modules. One module houses two integer cores, but only one decoder and one FPU, making the A10-4600M a sort of a "light" quad-core. Depending on the task, the 32 nm processor works at 2.3 to 3.2 GHz and supports modern features such as AVX and AES. AMD has rated the power consumption at 35 W (TDP).

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As with all other APUs, the A10-4600M has an integrated graphics unit. The Radeon HD 7660G is used for light 2D or multimedia applications, but can also work in Crossfire tandem with the Radeon HD 7670M. AMD has named this function "Dual Graphics" and promises noticeable performance increase. We will come back to this later in the review.

In view of the low price, our test candidate is equipped with generous amounts of memory. The user has at his disposal 1000 GB of hard drive space and 8 GB of RAM (divided into 2x 4 GB DDR3-1600). Some notebooks that cost twice as much do not offer such features.

Despite its four cores and relatively high clock frequency, the A10-4600M cannot compete with the processing power of Intel's fastest CPUs. At best, the APU is on the level of the older Core i3-2330M, but is often considerably slower. Interestingly, the Turbo frequency of 3.2 GHz, promised by AMD, is only kept for a split second even in single thread applications such as SuperPi. Most of the time we observed a stable 2.7 GHz, although with all cores under load we registered only the base frequency of 2.3 GHz. Apparently AMD has miscalculated the TDP of the chip - with just Prime95 running without any additional graphics applications, we notice a slight throttling to 2.2 GHz

Quantity instead of quality. HP has not chosen an SSD, but a particularly large 2.5-inch hard drive (9.5 mm height) made by Toshiba. The MQ01ABD100 has two 500 GB platters that rotate at 5400 RPM. In combination with the 8 MB cache, you should not be expecting any record-breaking performance.

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Nonetheless, with an average transfer rate of 81.7 MB/s and access time of just 18.1 milliseconds (HD Tune), the hard drive places in the upper third of our HDD ranking list. Of course, the drive loses to an SSD, but keep in mind the price difference.

System Performance
With a solid 2030 points in the system benchmark PCMark 7, the Pavilion g6-2253sg is on par with competitors like the Fujitsu Lifebook AH532 (2165 points). This is worth mentioning, because the A10-4600M is significantly slower than the Core i5-3210M in the Fujitsu notebook in most of the other benchmarks. However, the PCMark series exaggerates the small difference in the hard drive performance and should therefore be taken only as a rough guide.

In standard everyday tasks, users should not be able to notice any difference between the two notebooks. The AMD APU copes with simple multimedia programs as well as more complex applications, although you should not be expecting the same performance as from an expensive Core i7. Anyway, the biggest bottleneck is usually the HDD.

Graphics Card
At this point, we would like to skip the technical details of the Radeon HD 7660G and the additional HD 7670M. All the data, clock frequencies, and features can be found on the linked pages in our GPU database. Rather, we would like to know if AMD has managed to improve the inadequate cooperation of the two graphics cards, which we described in previous reviews.

In the synthetic benchmarks, such as the 3DMark 11, everything looks good. Even the GeForce GT 730M has to fight against the HD 7660G + HD 7670M Crossfire combo and even loses with a score of 2135 to 2171 points respectively. But what about the performance in real games?

Here, the Pavilion encounters the same problems as other Dual Graphics notebooks. First of all, Crossfire does not always scale properly. For example, the modern Crysis 3 does not run much better than with a single 7670M. Smooth frame rate above 30 fps was only achieved at 1024 x 768 pixels and lowest quality settings. Other games, such as Battlefield 3, did show decent performance gain, but this was also accompanied by fluctuating frame rate (micro stuttering). On top of this, the processor limits the graphics cards in some strategy and multiplayer games. Overall, the g6-2253sg offers an adequate performance for its price.

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System Noise
In its factory state, the notebook's fan is constantly active even at idle and produces an audible, but not disturbing, noise level of 32.0 to 32.4 dB(A). If you deactivate the "Fan always on" option in the BIOS, the little noise maker occasionally turns off completely.

When playing games, simulated by 3DMark 06, the notebook emits a noise level of 39.2 dB(A). It becomes even louder during our extreme stress test. The measured noise of 48.1 dB(A) is a theoretical maximum, which should not be reached even in the latest games. However, the similarly equipped Acer Aspire V3-551G remains a couple of dB quieter under load.

In comparison to the Intel version, the g6-2253sg shows slightly higher surface temperatures. Under low load, these are on average at 30 to 32 °C. Under full load they are a couple of degrees higher. During prolonged gaming, the left palm rest and the keyboard area can become uncomfortably warm. But some rivals suffer more from high temperatures and even exceed the 45 oC mark at certain points. Those who just browse the web and do office work can safely use the notebook on the lap.

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The Pavilion completed our stress test, consisting of Prime95 and FurMark, with acceptable hardware temperatures of about 86 °C (CPU) and 72 °C (GPU). However, our test candidate cheated a little - only the Radeon HD 7670M was used (Crossfire not possible) and the processor throttled down to about 2.1 to 2.2 GHz. In more practical situations, the CPU can hold at least the base clock frequency or even the first Turbo step.

Speakers
HP has labeled the Pavilion with "Dolby Advanced Audio" and has installed an Altec Lansing sound system. However, you should not be expecting too much out of these grandiose names. The two stereo speakers have a high maximum volume and clear highs, but it lacks bass. Therefore, as per usual, we advise users to connect headphones or external speakers, either via the HDMI (suitable receiver required) or via the audio jack.

Energy Management

Power Consumption
The power consumption of 10.6 to 13 W in idle state is typical for a notebook of this price range. While a few years ago AMD based processors used to be wasteful and inefficient, today the CPU manufacturer has caught up with the market leader Intel in this discipline.

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The energy consumption remains moderate even under load. Although a dual-core processor of the Core i5 series including the 28 nm GPU, as in the Acer Aspire V3-571G, offers more performance for the same or lower consumption, the difference is not earth shattering. The 90 W power supply is generously sized, especially in view of the maximum consumption of 66.5 to 70.2 W that we measured.

Battery Life
Before we have a look at the results, we must note something: because of the extremely low display brightness on battery power of just above 100 cd/m², the g6-2253sg is the favored one among its rivals.

With its 47 Wh battery the Pavilion reached a maximum runtime of 7 hours and 12 minutes in the Battery Eater Reader's Test (energy saving profile, minimum brightness, WLAN off). Although this test is highly impractical, it highlights the energy efficiency of the Trinity platform in idle state.

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If you browse the internet or watch videos via the WLAN (energy saving profile, maximum brightness), you would need to connect the notebook to the charger after 3 hours and 47 minutes. HP managed to beat the Fujitsu Lifebook AH532 (3h 28min), but is behind the Acer Aspire V3-551G (4h 22min).

Unfortunately, not only the display brightness is limited on battery power, but also the graphics card (3DMark 11: 1300 points). Despite these limitations, in the Battery Eater Classic Test (high performance profile, maximum brightness, WLAN on) the battery was empty after just over an hour. The full charging period of the notebook takes 90 minutes.

What can you expect from a notebook in the 500 to 600 Euros (~$650 to $780) price range? According to HP, a lot! Despite the usual Crossfire problems, the Pavilion g6-2253sg offers, above all, plenty of storage and solid applications and gaming performance for a small price.

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Sure, it is obvious that the manufacturer had to make some compromises in the notebook. The glossy plastic case is neither ergonomic, nor is it very stable or of high quality, but it serves its purpose. The keyboard and the touchpad are even better than the standard for this price range and make the Pavilion ideal for office use. On top of that, the notebook proved to be quiet and with long battery life, at least in low load scenarios.

Ultimately, there is only one thing that prevents a purchase recommendation. We anticipated a low-resolution TN panel with bad viewing angles, but we did not expect such low display brightness. Potential buyers need to be aware that the screen is practically designed only for indoor use. This also affects the battery life. Users who can overlook this problem will receive an inexpensive and versatile multimedia notebook in the Pavilion g6. This is also true for the other versions with the Intel processor.

Posted by: luckystar at 06:05 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Review Samsung Series 3 355E5C-S02DE Notebook and battery life
The market for entry-level laptops is swamped with innumerable models from various manufacturers. Samsung adds yet another device with its 355E5C-S02DE. AMD's E2-1800 APU powers the device and Samsung installs a dedicated AMD Radeon HD 7470M GPU to support it - a rather unusual combination. Our review uncovers whether Samsung can stand out from the masses with its 355E5C owing to the APU / GPU combination. Sony VGP-BPL11 ADAPTER

We used Lenovo's B575e (AMD E2-1800, AMD Radeon HD 7340) and Asus' F55A (Intel Pentium B980, Intel HD Graphics) to classify the laptop.

Case

Samsung stuffs the 355E5C's entire technology in a black plastic casing. The laptop has both the design language and color in common with the recently reviewed 17.3-inch Samsung 355E7C-S05DE laptop. The base unit's top and the lid's back feature matte, brushed metal looks. The display bezel and the keyboard rim are made of glossy plastic. Both the casing of Lenovo's laptop and the F55A are also one hundred percent plastic. Sony VGP-BPS11 ADAPTER

In terms of stability, the 355E5C's casing is identical to its bigger brother. The base unit can be easily dented underneath and left of the touchpad, as well as on the keyboard's left. Like the 355E7C, the base unit's front right corner lifts from the surface as soon as pressure is applied to the frame left of the keyboard. The base unit and lid could also be stiffer. The lid's back proves to be more rigid than in the 355E7C. It can only be pressed to such an extent that minor image distortions occur in a few places. The hinges keep the lid firmly in place but rock a bit. It is not possible to open the lid with one hand. Sony VGP-BPX11 ADAPTER

Communication

The AR9485WB-EG Wi-Fi module used in the 355E5C comes from Atheros. It supports the 802.11 b/g/n standard. Reception was no problem regardless if we were in the router's immediate vicinity (approx. 3 meters/~10 feet) or two floors below the router. Windows' Wi-Fi indicator always displayed four to five bars. The Bluetooth 4.0 chip also comes from Atheros. Like in innumerable laptops, the Gigabit Ethernet chip is a member of Realtek's RTL8168/8111 family. The installed 1.3 megapixel webcam makes pale and noisy pictures with a resolution of up to 1280x1024. Sony VGP-BPL6 ADAPTER

Accessories

Samsung does not add any exciting accessories in the box. A leaflet with warranty information, a quick start poster and a quick guide about Samsung's preinstalled apps is found.

Operating System and Recovery

Toshiba delivers the 355E5C with preinstalled Windows 8 64-bit. A Windows DVD is not included. The usual Windows 8 recovery system exists to get the operating system running again in case of malfunction. The F11 key has to be pressed during the booting process to open it. Sony VGP-BPS6 ADAPTER

A tip: Users who want to get rid of the preinstalled Samsung tools should reset the entire system to state of delivery. The necessary drivers and wanted programs (e.g. PowerDVD) can be reinstalled using the preinstalled SW Update tool even after resetting.

Warranty

The 355E5C comes with a 24-month warranty. Buyers of the F55A and B575e have to be content with a 12-month warranty. The warranty period of Samsung's laptop can be upgraded. A 36-month warranty costs around 65 Euros (~$85) and a 48-month warranty adds approximately 100 Euros (~$131). Sony A1215491A ADAPTER The warranty upgrades have to be purchased and activated within the first 90 days after buying the laptop.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The unlit chiclet keyboard in the 355E5C includes a number pad. The keys feature a medium drop and sufficient resistance. It is no problem to detect the pressure point. The keyboard only yields slightly while typing. Samsung principally installs a satisfactory keyboard, although it cannot compete against the better typing qualities of Lenovo's keyboard.

Touchpad

Sony VGP-BPL16 ADAPTER A multi-touchpad is used as the mouse replacement. With a size of 10.2 x 5.5 cm (~4 x 2.2 inches), it provides enough room for gestures. The sleek surface allows the finger to glide easily. The single multi-touch gestures can be turned on and off in the setup menu. Both mouse keys feature a short drop and a clearly audible and palpable pressure point.

Performance

Sony VGP-BPS16 ADAPTER The hardware of the 355E5C provides enough power to cope with everyday tasks. Internet communication, word processing, Internet browsing and rendering videos are no challenge for the laptop. Even Full HD videos can be played. The video decoder in AMD's GPU (AMD UVD3 decoder) does the main work during playback. We tested rendering HD material (1920x1080 pixels, H.264 coding) using the DXVA Checker tool and recorded an average CPU capacity of 13 percent.

The 355E5C is currently available for a price between 390 Euros (~$510) and 500 Euros (~$654). Also, a second configuration features a 500 GB hard drive. The other equipment and the price level are identical. Sony VGP-BPL19 ADAPTER

Processor
AMD's E2-1800 APU powers the 355E5C. The CPU part of the APU consists of a dual-core processor which clocks with 1.7 GHz. It does not feature Turbo.

The main processor calculated the Cinebench test with its full clock of 1.7 GHz. The results were as expected. The rates of the 355E5C and B575e (AMD E2-1800, Radeon HD 7340) are virtually identical. Neither contender can defeat the F55A (Pentium B980, HD Graphics). The Pentium processor is superior to AMD's counterparts. Samsung's laptop wins the GL test of Cinebench R11.5. Sony VGP-BPL19A/B ADAPTER The reason for this is that Samsung has disabled the APU-integrated Radeon HD 7340 GPU and replaced it with the stronger Radeon HD 7470M GPU.

System Performance
The system operates smoothly. However, too much should not be expected. AMD's APU is the bottleneck. For example, the system runs sluggishly when several browser windows are opened at the same time. The PCMark 7 benchmark score is on the expected level. The score of the B575e (AMD E2-1800, Radeon HD 7340) is slightly lower. The marginally stronger GPU of Samsung's laptop is noticed here. The score of the F55A (Pentium B980, HD Graphics) is clearly higher than from the contenders. In this case, it is due to the stronger CPU. Sony VGP-BPS19 ADAPTER

A hard drive from Hitachi's Travelstar 5K750 series is used as the storage device in the 355E5C. The drive runs at 5400 revolutions per minute and has a storage capacity of 750 GB. Thus, it provides plenty of storage capacity for pictures, music or video files. HD Tune ascertained an average transfer rate of 68.1 MB/s. CrystalDiskMark recorded a read speed of 92.36 MB/s. The drive is overall in the midfield of 5400-rpm drives. Sony VGP-BPS19/S ADAPTER

Graphics Card
The APU installed in the 355E5C includes the integrated Radeon HD 7340 GPU. Samsung completely disabled this GPU and treats the laptop to a somewhat stronger, dedicated Radeon HD 7470M GPU. This entry-level graphics core supports DirectX 11 and clocks with up to 800 MHz. Sony VGP-BPS19B/B ADAPTER

The power of the HD 7470M is roughly on a par with Intel's HD Graphics 4000 GPU in 3DMark 11. The scores in the older 3DMark versions lag behind the HD Graphics 4000 GPU because the CPU was ranked higher in these tests. Both the F55A (Intel Pentium B980, HD Graphics) and the B575e (AMD E2-1800, Radeon HD 7340) lag behind Samsung's laptop in all 3DMark benchmarks. The following comparison graph illustrates the differences between the HD 7340 GPU and HD 7470 GPU. Sony VGP-BPX19 ADAPTER

Gaming Performance
The Radeon HD 7470M GPU would principally be able to render many up-to-date games smoothly in low and often even in medium quality settings. However, AMD's APU is, in the truest sense of the word, a spoilsport. It is too weak for current computer games. Most games stutter even in low resolutions and quality settings. Only Anno 2070 can be played smoothly. The CPU's impact on the frame rates is apparent in a direct comparison with the F55A. Sony VGP-BPS30 ADAPTER Although the 355E5C's GPU is stronger than the F55A's HD Graphics GPU, Asus' laptop usually provides better frame rates. In general: the less CPU power a game needs, the more likely it will run smoothly.

Users looking for an affordable, gaming-suitable laptop should look closer at Acer's Aspire E1-571G (Core i3-3110M, GeForce GT 620M) or HP's Pavilion g6-2200sg (Pentium B980, Radeon HD 7670M). Both laptops currently cost about 70 Euros (~$92) – 80 Euros (~$105) more than the 355E5C. Sony VGP-BPS33 ADAPTER

Emissions

System Noise

The GPU of the initially energy-efficient AMD APU is disabled and the dedicated Radeon GPU clocks with just 100 MHz in idle mode. Nevertheless, we measured a noise of 31.2 to 34.8 dB (A). This is however only reached when Silent Mode is enabled. Both the B575e (30.8 to 33 dB (A)) and the F55A (30.6 dB (A)) work with less noise. With 35.4 dB (A) during medium load (3DMark 06) and 37.5 dB (A) in full load, Samsung's laptop ranges between the B575e (32.2 dB (A) and 36.9 dB (A)) and the F55A (40.1 dB (A) and 42.2 dB (A)). Sony VGP-BPL17 ADAPTER

The aforementioned Silent Mode is a special operating mode of the 355E5C. The CPU part of the APU then only clocks with a maximum of 850 MHz. It does not produce as much heat and consequently does not need to be cooled as frequently. Silent Mode can be turned on and off via a function key. The user should keep in mind that the CPU's power is reduced by 50 percent when Silent Mode is enabled. This will be noticed all the more when several program windows and/or website are opened at the same time. Sony VGP-BPL17/B ADAPTER

The casing of Samsung's laptop does not heat up exceptionally. We measured temperatures ranging from 23.7 and 33.5 degrees Celsius (~74.7 and 92.3 Fahrenheit) in idle mode. The F55A is on a similar level and the B575e is even a bit cooler. The 355E5C did not break any temperature records with rates between 23.1 and 36.1 degrees Celsius (~73.6 and 97 Fahrenheit) during full load. The F55A produces similar temperature rates as Samsung's laptop during full load. Again, the B575e exhibits the lowest temperatures of the two. All three devices can be used on the lap without getting unpleasant. Sony VGP-BPS17 ADAPTER

The CPU mostly processed the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) at its full speed of 1.7 GHz in AC mode. The core's clock occasionally dropped (700 to 1500 MHz) for a second. The GPU always clocked at its maximum of 800 MHz. On battery power, the CPU ran through the stress test with 1.7 GHz and the GPU clocked with 300 MHz. In order to run the GPU with its maximum clock even during full load in battery mode, the GPU performance has to be set to "Maximize Performance" in AMD's Vision Engine Control center. Sony VGP-BPS17/B ADAPTER The CPU's temperature settled to 73 degrees Celsius (~163.4 Fahrenheit) in AC mode.

Speakers
The speakers in the 355E5C are located above the keyboard. They produce low bass but the sound tends to be tinny. Speech is clearly intelligible. The sound can be modified to an extent via the preinstalled SoundAlive software. External speakers or headphones can be connected for a better sound experience.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Sony VGP-BPS17/S ADAPTER We measured a power consumption of 9.7 to 15.3 Watts in idle mode. These rates are much too high considering the hardware. The B575e is satisfied with 5.9 to 10.5 Watts and the F55A consumes up to 16.2 Watts. The 355E5C places itself between the B575e (23.7 / 29.2 Watts) and the F55A (40.6 / 47.6 Watts) with 35.2 Watts in medium load (3DMark 06) and 43.9 Watts during full load (Prime95 and FurMark).

Battery Runtime
Sony VGP-BPL15 ADAPTER The 355E5C achieved a runtime of 6:07h while idling. It is on a par with Asus' laptop (6:15h) but clearly behind the B575e (10:49h). The idle runtime is ascertained using Battery Eaters Reader's test. The screen is set to minimum brightness, the energy-savings profile is enabled and the wireless modules are disabled. The battery in Samsung's laptop lasted for 2:47h in load. Neither contender achieved this rate: F55A: 1:11h; B575e: 2:08h). The load runtime is determined using Battery Eater's Classic test. The screen is set to maximum brightness and the high-performance profile and wireless modules are enabled. Sony VGP-BPL15/B ADAPTER

The 355E5C finished the Wi-Fi test with 3:51h. Asus' laptop (4:12h) and the B575e (4:28h) lasted longer. Websites are automatically opened every 40 seconds in this test. The energy-savings profile is enabled and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². Samsung's 15.6-incher achieved a DVD playback time of 3:24h with one battery charge. Again, the contenders from Asus and Lenovo ran a bit longer with 3:47h. The DVD test is performed with enabled energy saving mode (or a higher profile should the DVD not run smoothly), maximum screen brightness and disabled wireless modules. Sony VGP-BPL15/S ADAPTER

The runtime of the three devices can be compared well since their batteries have a similar capacity (Samsung, Lenovo: 48 Wh; Asus: 47 Wh).

Samsung's 355E5C leaves us with mixed feelings. The two-year warranty, spacious hard drive, low temperature development, satisfactory keyboard and matte screen were positive aspects. However, Samsung does not manage to exploit the positive qualities of AMD's APU, namely the low power consumption. A laptop that sports an E2-1800 APU should achieve longer battery runtimes, particularly in idle mode. Sony VGP-BPS15 ADAPTER The 355E5C does not improve on the runtimes of Asus' F55A while delivering less CPU computing power. The equally affordable Dell Vostro 2520 achieves even longer runtimes (idle: 8:27h; Wi-Fi: 5:24h, DVD playback: 5:10h) and features a Core i3 processor. Using the Radeon HD 7470M GPU does not make much sense either. The bit more 3D power compared with the APU-integrated GPU is not noticed in practice. The dedicated GPU does not make the 355E5C into a gaming-suitable laptop. Sony VGP-BPS15/B ADAPTER

Lenovo's B575e is interesting for all users who want a laptop with a matte screen and a good keyboard. Asus' F55A comes into question when as much CPU power as possible is wanted. The F55A also only costs 299 Euros (~$391) without a Windows operating system.

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Review Update Dell Precision M6700 Notebook Nvidia Quadro K5000M and battery life

Dell's Precision M6700 leads our workstation ranking alongside its smaller brother, Dell's Precision M4700. The reason that the 17-inch premium model is only in second place could be that the older test model featured the attractively priced AMD FirePro M6000. HP Pavilion 14t Battery Now we have gotten hold of a test model with the strongest Nvidia Quadro graphics chip, the Quadro K5000M. A more potent Intel Core i7-3940XM CPU is also integrated, which is the current ultimate until the Haswell architecture is released. The working memory has been doubled to 16 GB and features a higher clock. A total of three solid state drives are used as storage devices. This is divided into 256 GB for the operating system and 2x 512 GB for data. We regrettably did not get an IPS screen with RGB LEDs. Instead, the standard Full HD screen is installed again. The test device currently has a gross price of about 7600 Euros (~$9867). HP Pavilion 14z Battery

Case

The casing is identical with that of the previously tested Dell Precision M6700 with AMD's FirePro M6000. The umber-colored metal surface is very rigid and resistant. The display hinge has a firm grip on the screen and the wrist rest only yields slightly over the ExpressCard slot. The casing's stiffness is exemplary. The base is closed with a big cover that is secured with two screws and most important components are found beneath it. HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14 Battery The Precision M6700 cannot be placed stably on a surface when the battery is removed because one of the feet is attached to it. More impressions about the casing can be found in the review of Dell's Precision M6700 and Precision M6600.

Performance

Our test model sports the currently strongest mobile CPU, Intel's Core i7-3940XM. Dell combines it with the premium model of Nvidia's professional graphic cards, the Quadro K5000M. A fast 16 GB PC3-14900 working memory from Kingston and three SSDs complete the high-performance workstation. Our test configuration is available for a price starting at around 7600 Euros (~$9867, gross) at Dell. Thus, the price is much higher than that of our first test model (5200 Euros, ~$6752), which featured AMD's FirePro M6000 graphics and Intel's second-fastest Core i7-3920XM. HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14t Battery

Processor
Intel's Core i7-3940XM supplies top rates in all test fields. Only desktop CPUs provide even more computing power. Four physical computer cores, Hyper Threading, 8 MB of L3 cache and Turbo Boost (3000 - 3900 MHz) are key configuration features that ensure a particularly high performance. Top scores can be expected in single-thread as well as in multi-thread tasks. For example, 6506 points was achieved in Cinebench R10 64 bit single-core and 25475 points in multi-core. HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14z Battery Converting MP3 files to AAC format via iTunes was performed with x55.9 speed (single-thread), which is, up till now, the best rate of Intel's Core i7-3920XM CPU. The 100 MHz difference in the maximum clock rate apparently does not have an effect here. Converting two movie files via Cyberlink's MediaEspresso media converter was also accomplished in a best time.

We did not ascertain a reduction of the processor clock rate in battery mode. However, the user will have to reckon with clock throttling after approximately 20 minutes of simultaneous CPU and GPU load. More about that under Emissions. HP 3125 Battery

System Performance
Almost everything that is technically possible is exhausted in system performance. Only a swifter SSD-RAID array could provide an even better result. However, the present configuration's results, 20046 points in PCMark Vantage and 6203 points in PCMark 7, are more than satisfactory. The user will not have to worry about performance for the next few years with this laptop. HP 3125m Battery

Storage Devices
The operating system is installed on a 256 GB mSATA SSD. The good results of Samsung's PM830 solid state drive were already compelling in previous tests. In this case, its scores remain behind its potentials in a few subareas. The reason for this is the mSATA SSD connected via SATA II, which is bogged down at about 270 MB/s. This disadvantage primarily affects the maximum sequential read and transfer rates. HP EliteBook Folio 9470 Ultrabook Battery Accessing and processing multiple small files (4K QD32) at the same time is accomplished just about as fast as with a SATA III interface and makes up the largest part of the subjective routine work speed. More information can be found in our extensive HDD benchmark chart.

The user can store files on the enormous capacity of two 512 GB SSDs from ADATA. They are connected via SATA III and can thus provide full speed. This ensures a very fast data transfer rate between the storage devices. Our test system embedded all SSDs as single drives. Implementing various RAID configurations that are either made for performance or redundancy is also possible. HP EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook Battery

Graphics Card
The power of Nvidia's Quadro K5000M (technical specs) is very dependent on optimized Quadro drivers. They ensure an enormous speed boost particularly when compared with similar high-performance consumer-range models. In addition to that, the special drivers also affect the stability and compatibility with many professional applications, which are reflected in a corresponding ISV certification.

HP EliteBook 8770P Battery The results from the SPECViewperf 11 benchmark show that Nvidia's Quadro K5000M delivers top performance across the board. In contrast to AMD's FirePro M6000, it even has the lead in all fields. Depending on the application field, the difference is relatively low and the question whether the surcharge is really worthwhile could arise. This is the case in, for example, Solid Works, Maya and Lightwave. Compared with the Nvidia Quadro K5000M in Schenker's XIRIOS W712, Dell's Precision M6700 is clearly defeated in Maya, TCVIS and Siemens NX. HP ProBook 6360t Mobile Thin Client Battery This is not due to the different driver versions. An update to the newer ForceWare 307.68 did not bring visible performance increases in Dell's Precision M6700. The much better scores are probably due to the XIRIOS W712's better multi-thread performance and twice as big working memory. The performance of the older test devices listed in the comparison graph might have increased with the driver updates in the meantime.

HP SpectreXT TouchSmart Ultrabook Battery The test system can also use Intel's Quick Sync technology for video converting tasks owing to Optimus and the enabled Intel graphics. This is currently the fastest way to convert videos to another format. The user can also benefit from a very low processor capacity. Another possible alternative would be video converting via Nvidia's CUDA engine or processor-only power. However, the tasks need much longer with these technologies. This difference particularly becomes relevant in big projects. A performance comparison is graphically illustrated under Processor. HP Spectre XT TouchSmart 15t Battery

The scores are slightly higher than Nvidia's GeForce GTX 675M in the DirectX 11 benchmarks. In 3DMark 11, 5152 points was achieved and only 2724 points in 3DMark Fire Strike. The score of Schenker's XIRIOS workstation (76 fps) was even surpassed in Cinebench OpenGL Shading with 84 fps.

HP EliteBook Revolve 810 Battery The dedicated graphics card only runs with its default clock of 135 MHz in battery mode. This results in a performance loss of approximately 60%. For example, only just below 27 fps in contrast to 84 fps was achieved in Cinebench R11.5 Open GL Shading. In return, the graphics performance remained consistently stable in AC mode and did not suffer from temperature throttling like the CPU.

Gaming Performance
HP Reveals Pavilion 14 Battery A workstation is not really conceived for gaming. Nevertheless, the high-performance graphic chips are very suitable for this purpose. We did not notice any negative effects due to the special Quadro drivers. Almost all the games we tested could be rendered smoothly in maximum quality settings and Full HD resolution. However, a drawback of Dell's Precision M6700 is that resolutions between 1280x1024 and 1920x1080 pixels are not supported, neither internally nor on an external monitor.

System Noise

HP ENVY Sleekbook 6z Battery Unlike most other manufacturers, Dell has managed to fuse high-performance with very low noise generation in its Precision M6700. The laptop was silent and only its quiet fan noise was occasionally heard in low load. We also observed this when Nvidia's Quadro K5000M was enabled instead of the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000. However, a difference to Dell's Precision M6700 with AMD FirePro M6000 was noticed in medium load. It was considerably more present with 40.5 dB(A) than the latter's 34.6 dB(A). Longer use first got unpleasant during full load where the fan produced 48.9 dB(A) at full speed. Hp 468816-001 Battery However, we liked the fact that the fans slowed down noticeably soon after a load period and the high noise level was really only present during high load.

The temperature development on the casing's surfaces can be called moderate. With a maximum of 45 °C, Dell's Precision M6700 remained far below 50 °C at our usual measuring points even after 2 hours of full load. It got a lot warmer with up to 56 °C at the rear vents and 54.8 °C at the docking port. The docking port apparently absorbs the heat extremely well and conducts it outwards. The wrist rest, working area and keyboard are much cooler with a maximum of 35.3 °C. Hp HSTNN-151C Battery

While the casing's temperatures are overall within limits, it gets quite hot inside. The HWinfo tool recorded a core temperature of 104 °C after approximately 20 minutes of full load (Furmark, Prime95). Temperature throttling sets in at this stage and results in a consistently fluctuating Turbo Boost between 3 GHz and 3.7 GHz. Dell's Ultra Performance energy saving profile (max fan level) did not improve this. We believe that the air intake vents on the bottom are too small and come too close to the surface. That impairs enough cool air from being taken into the casing during full load. Hp HSTNN-CB70 Battery CPU throttling did not occur when the Precision M6700's rear was permanently jacked up by about 4 centimeters. This effect was not observed with Nvidia's Quadro K5000M. Its clock remained stable at 601 MHz and clearly below 80 °C. 3DMark 06 performed directly after this even achieved a slightly better score of 24670 points than in the initial test.

Power Consumption

The power consumption measured at the mains ranged from 13.9 up to 181.6 watts. Because the Intel HD Graphics 4000 is enabled, the AMD FirePro M6000 version can be undercut by about 4.7 watts. Hp HSTNN-CB71 Battery When the dedicated Nvidia Quadro was active instead of the integrated graphics, the idle power consumption was 18.7, 23.7 or 25.8 watts, which is almost identical to the rates of AMD's FirePro. The high power consumption of Nvidia's Quadro K5000M ultimately takes effect and causes a power consumption of 181.6 watts. The 97 Wh battery, which is a good precondition for a practical battery runtime with its lush capacity, faces that.

Our test model's runtime increased enormously due to the usability of Intel's HD Graphics 4000 in contrast to the AMD model without enabled Intel graphics. Compared with AC mode, Dell appears to use other energy saving options in battery mode. Hp HSTNN-OB71 Battery Owing to Nvidia's Optimus, Dell's Precision M6700 lasted for almost 9 hours without the power supply in Battery Eater Reader's test, performed with minimum screen brightness, energy saving profile and disabled wireless modules. The AMD model was already drained after just 5:28 hours in the same test. The more practical Wi-Fi test, i.e. internet browsing with a brightness of approx. 150 cd/m² and energy saving mode on Intel's HD, ran for a good 6 hours. The video test using a DVD, energy saving mode and maximum brightness proved that the user can watch a movie for roughly 5 hours without the PSU. Hp HSTNN-XB70 Battery Battery Eater's Classic test with maximum brightness, all on and high performance, finished much sooner and the battery was drained after 72 minutes. Compared with the maximum mains consumption, this still favorable result is mainly possible to the Nvidia Quadro K5000M GPU's clock reduction to 135 MHz in battery mode.

Dell has created a masterpiece with it latest Precision series. No other contender we reviewed managed to fuse high-end performance with a low operating noise so well. Unfortunately, Dell blunders in stability in the test model, which is so important for workstations. CPU throttling during full load must not be an issue. This also makes buying the premium-range CPU ridiculous because just when it is needed, its potential is not permanently available. Hp HSTNN-XB71 Battery

Other drawbacks, such as the operating noise's increase starting from medium load or reduced graphics power in battery mode, could also be key points for some buyers to opt against Dell's Precision M6700. Here it becomes obvious that the performance limit of Dell's Precision M6700 has been exhausted with this configuration. These restrictions could likely be sidestepped with a somewhat weaker CPU-GPU combination. Hp KG297AA Battery

However, Dell does not make it easy for the potential buyer with the test model either. The pro side is not weaker. The casing's exceedingly high-quality and rigid qualities alongside a fairly light weight are appealing. The very good battery runtimes and the consequently only rarely needed power supply are more features that boost the mobility factor. Hp NBP6A93B1 Battery

The screen is appropriate for the target group, the system performance is enormous and the configuration as well as upgrade options provide a high measure of flexibility.

Posted by: luckystar at 06:54 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Review Acer Iconia W510 Convertible

The advantages of uniting different worlds. This could describe the idea Acer follows with the Iconia W510. The buyer gets a full-blown 10.1 inch tablet alongside a dock that can be inserted in the tablet. This dock encompasses a complete keyboard, additional ports and even a second battery. A model featuring 3G is to also be available next year and be called Acer Iconia W511. HP Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook 13-2000 Charger

Intel's Atom Z2760 CPU sounds like a netbook and Acer's Iconia W510 looks like that in a closed state: slim and light. However, the Iconia can also be used as a tablet or the dock as a stand. Acer offers interesting software goodies that are to facilitate use. We'll take a look at how all this fits together.

The first thing you see when you unpack your new Acer Iconia W510 is a 10.1 inch tablet with a white frame and silver back. Another, deeper look in the box reveals the keyboard dock in which the tablet can be inserted, and which is so important for this concept. The dock's keys and hinge are white, but silver elsewhere. Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook 13t-2000 Charger

The hinge can only be moved vertically, so up and down, and not be turned horizontally like in Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga. In return, the hinge can be folded by more than 180° which turns the dock into a stand for the screen. Acer dubs this presentation mode. The keyboard's surface is on the table in presentation mode. Spacers and the slightly lowered keyboard prevent unintentional inputs. The biggest advantage of this mode is that the screen's touch functions are easier to use because the Iconia cannot topple over like in the so-called productivity mode, i.e. when the keyboard is unfolded. HP B8U92UT/B8U92UT#ABA Spectre XT Pro Ultrabook charger

Acer's Iconia W510 generally makes a good quality impression although the tablet wobbles a bit when inserted in the dock. The screen should not be folded too far back because the base cannot prevent the device from toppling from an angle of approximately 130°. There is not much danger of damage since the screen hovers quite close over the desk in this position. As mentioned, it is generally possible to use the touch function in productivity mode. However, Acer's Iconia W510 is more stable in the presentation mode intended for this. HP Envy SPECTRE XT 13-2000EA Ultrabook Charger

Otherwise, Acer's Iconia W510 hardly exhibits any drawbacks as a tablet or netbook. The hinge is stable and has a firm hold on screen in most positions. The surface features a good grip and is fingerprint resistant. The device has a solid and compact feel and does not yield under pressure. The tablet smoothly slides into the dock and it can be removed just as easily. Acer's Iconia W510 remains agreeably stable on both the touch-sensitive front as well as the back even as a pure tablet. HP Envy SPECTRE XT 13-2000 Ultrabook Charger

In terms of weight, the 117 gram, lightweight power supply unit is noticed favorably and the 580 gram tablet is pleasant to hold without feeling heavy. The device alongside the keyboard dock weighs 1266 grams and is still portable. Nevertheless, it partly weighs more than 11.6 inch convertibles due to the second battery. HP Envy SPECTRE XT 13t-2000 Ultrabook Charger

Performance

The objective of Acer's Iconia W510 is sooner to ensure the greatest degree of mobility for a reasonable price than to achieve high performance. In the review of Samsung's ATIV Smart PC we ascertained that the new generation of Atom CPUs is much faster than the previous one, but still very inferior to those in classic laptops. HP Envy SPECTRE XT 13-2000eb Ultrabook Charger

Cinebench proves that even the simplest Intel Pentium processors calculate a lot faster than the Atom CPU in Acer's Iconia W510. Nevertheless, 435 points in Shading is almost 50% more than with former Atom generations.

Acer's Iconia W510 is and remains a tablet and can compete with modern smartphones in the comparison, as Geekbench shows: HP Envy SPECTRE XT 13-2000ed Ultrabook adapter

Samsung's ATIV Smart PC reaped in similar scores owing to almost identical equipment. The latest iPad and iPhone generation provide a considerably higher performance than Acer's Iconia W510 but also cost significantly more. HP Spectre 14-3200ed Ultrabook Charger

System Performance
The system reaped in decent scores in PCMark 7. Unfortunately, PCMark Vantage did not record any results although it started on our system. The achieved PCMark 7 score of 1248 points is on a par with those of Samsung's ATIV XE500 convertibles. Laptops like Asus' K53 (AMD A4-3305M/7670M) or HP's 630 (Intel P6200/GMA HD) are on a comparable level.

The subjective work speed has also improved in comparison with older netbooks. This is likely mostly due to the incorporated flash memory and the faster processor. The integrated graphics solution has not experienced a performance boost compared with earlier Atom generations. Battery for HP Spectre 14-3200ef Ultrabook

Storage Devices
64 GB of storage is quite acceptable for a tablet, especially when it can be expanded via a micro SD card. However, not only the storage capacity counts but also the performance.

Acer installs an eMMC memory in the Iconia W510. It does not have any movable parts and thus has a longer life. It also ensures a higher data rate than conventional hard disks.

However, the eMMC storage device used here cannot be compared with the performance of SSDs that are increasingly being used in larger laptops. The performance is much lower though still faster than that of conventional hard disks. HP Spectre 14-3200eo Ultrabook Charger

This is confirmed in the AS SSD benchmark specially developed for SSDs. Note: Only one of four tests could be performed properly with the non-removable flash memory in Acer's Iconia W510.

Gaming Performance
Those looking for a system that can deal with graphics hits among games are certainly poorly advised with an Atom system. An Intel Core processor alongside a dedicated graphics card would be necessary for this.

HP Spectre 14-3200er Ultrabook Charger However, the configuration will satisfy anyone who is content with browser and social gaming or likes to play an at least 7 year old and not too demanding game, as the scores from the older 3DMark range show. We tested "The Settlers Online" representative of browser games and did not experience any problems.

However some browser games do not detect the integrated flash player in the Internet Explorer app from Windows 8. Then you have to switch to the desktop and start Internet Explorer from there, which works. Hp TPN-P102 Charger

Energy Management

Power Consumption

With 8.2 watts in load and 9.7 watts in full load, Acer's Iconia W510 consumes a bit more than other convertibles using Intel's Atom processor that we previously tested. For example, both Samsung's ATIV Smart PC and Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga, powered by Nvidia's Tegra 3, remain below these rates.

Regardless of that, decent runtimes should be possible anyway because the power consumption is only 5 - 10% of a multimedia laptop. Hp TPN-W106 Battery replacement

A minimum power consumption of 1.7 watt is possible when the device is not loaded. The device does not consume any power when it is off, which is surprisingly not a matter of course for other devices. The PSU can supply a maximum of 18 watts and is agreeably very small.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

With 8.2 watts in load and 9.7 watts in full load, Acer's Iconia W510 consumes a bit more than other convertibles using Intel's Atom processor that we previously tested. For example, both Samsung's ATIV Smart PC and Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga, powered by Nvidia's Tegra 3, remain below these rates. Hp TPN-W107 Charger

Regardless of that, decent runtimes should be possible anyway because the power consumption is only 5 - 10% of a multimedia laptop.

A minimum power consumption of 1.7 watt is possible when the device is not loaded. The device does not consume any power when it is off, which is surprisingly not a matter of course for other devices. The PSU can supply a maximum of 18 watts and is agreeably very small. Hp TPN-W108 Charger

Is Acer's Iconia W510 a handy companion? Definitely. But is suitable for everyone? Probably not. If you need a lot of power on the move, you should sooner consider an ultrabook. If you want to connect many devices, you will at least have to buy a USB hub in addition to Acer's Iconia W510.

On the other hand, Acer's Iconia W510 is finally an affordable Windows 8 convertible that could be appealing with a full 32 bit version of the operating system, a great screen, a good quality build for the price range and many useful software offerings from Acer. Hp TPN-W109 Charger

When the tablet is inserted in the dock, you get outstanding battery runtimes, a decent keyboard that can be made to a firm stand.

If you can accept the second-rate touchpad and heat development in load, do not need much power for your work and value the device's flexibility, you will find a solid companion in Acer's Iconia W510.

Posted by: luckystar at 09:47 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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